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EX  LIBR.IS 


ART  PRINCIPLES   IN  PORTRAIT 
PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  113 


Frontispiece 


•ART  PRINCIPLES 

IN 

PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

COMPOSITION,   TREATMENT   OF    BACKGROUNDS, 

AND    THE    PROCESSES    INVOLVED    IN 

MANIPULATING  THE  PLATE 


BY 

OTTO   WALTER   BECK 
* » 

Instructor  in  Pictorial  Composition,  Pratt  Institute;  Member 
Architectural  League  of  New  York 


I 


Jl2eto  gotfc 
THE   BAKER   &   TAYLOR   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1907, 

by 
THE  BAKER   £f  TAYLOR  COMPANY 


Published,  April,  1907 


The  Plimpton  Press  Norwood  Mass.  V  .S.A. 


Co 
MRS.    J.    B.   THRESHER 


285636 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

PREFACE .  9 

I.    ART  AND  PHOTOGRAPHY 15 

II.    ART  VERSUS  NATURE 23 

III.  THEORY  OF  SPOTS 40 

IV.  BEAUTY  THROUGH  SPOT  ARRANGEMENT 60 

V.     LINES ; 70 

VI.    POWER  AND  FORCE  OF  LINES. — MOVEMENT  OF  LINES  .  98 

VII.     CHARACTER  AND  NATURE  OF  LINES 121 

VIII.     STABILITY 144 

IX.    BACKGROUNDS    .     ._'.-.. 160 

X.     CHARACTER  IN  PORTRAITURE 168 

XI.    THE  FOIL    .     .     .     ,v 171 

XII.    TONE,  COLOR 184 

XIII.  LIGHT  AND  SHADE 188 

XIV.  LIGHTING 207 

XV.    PROCESSES    .  229 


Vll 


PREFACE 

THE  author  believes  that  art  in  America  cannot 
make  its  way  to  the  people  without  a  medium 
that  will  educate.     Illustration  has  done  its  part.     It 
is  a  popular  art  and  a  popular  language,  and  its  influ- 
ence continues. 

Painting  cannot  become  a  vital  feature  in  our  country 
for  a  long  time,  owing  to  the  absence  of  tradition  and 
the  comparatively  slight  opportunity  afforded  the  ma- 
jority for  seeing  the  work  of  strong  painters.  Nor  could 
the  product  of  the  talented  few  be  other  than  limited 
in  its  influence  even  though  it  were  to  become  far  more 
accessible,  for  we  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  truth  that 
merely  seeing  or  possessing  pictures  does  not  disclose 
the  secret  of  their  construction  or  necessarily  impart 
to  us  wholesome  impulses  and  deeper  insight.  Our 
limitations  continue  until  we  try  to  produce  a  creative 
work,  and  in  the  effort  we  gradually  learn  the  pictorial 
language. 

What  is  needed  is  an  art  so  simple  and  in  its  first 
stages  so  nearly  a  mechanical  operation  that  all  may 
practise  it. 

9 


PREFACE 

Photography  has  touched  the  life  of  every  one.  It 
has  supplanted  to  a  large  extent  the  use  of  the  pencil 
and  the  brush,  as  it  overcomes  the  average  person's 
inability  to  draw  with  accuracy  the  objects  before  him. 
The  exact  and  forceful  lens  of  the  camera  renders 
nature  sufficiently  well  to  hold  the  interest  and  gratify 
the  scientific  wish  for  a  clear  reproduction.  To  this 
extent  photography  is  a  convenience,  but  as  yet  it  is  a 
tool  almost  uninfluenced  by  the  mind  of  the  operator. 
The  processes  inherited  from  Daguerre  remain  prac- 
tically unchanged  to-day.  Their  results  are  known 
popularly  as  "good  straight  photography,"  and  as 
now  practised  they  are  singularly  unsuited  to  artistic 
work  and  wholly  impossible  for  the  expression  of  pic- 
torial thought. 

Enslaved  by  commercialism,  this  plain  photography 
has  run  into  a  lifeless  groove.  It  has  established  a 
realism  tending  to  preclude  that  nourishment  and 
refreshing  mental  influence  found  in  suggestion  and 
in  the  creative  powers  resulting  in  beauty.  Its  direct 
result  has  been  to  instill  in  the  public  a  taste  for  literal- 
ism chilling  in  its  effect  upon  every  form  of  art. 

Art  in  photography  is  possible  only  in  an  extension 
of  the  methods  known  and  in  the  employment  of  new 
processes  to  effect  a  manipulation  of  the  photo-image. 
When  the  tool  is  made  so  pliable  that  it  records  more 
than  the  surface  appearance  of  things,  when  the  per- 

10 


PREFACE 

sonal  element  enters  to  give  life  to  the  accurate  records, 
the  present  limitations  of  impersonal  representation 
are  removed  from  photography,  and  its  large  true 
sphere  of  influence  opens.  Not  the  subject  merely, 
but  the  quality  attained  in  the  treatment  of  the  subject, 
will  become  our  chief  source  of  delight. 

Several  methods  are  used  at  the  present  time  to 
modify  the  lens  record.  In  some  instances  the  print- 
ing paper  is  worked  upon  in  such  a  manner  as  to  leave 
undeveloped  the  less  desirable  definitions  of  form  con- 
tained in  the  negative.  A  certain  resemblance  to 
creative  work  results,  and  much  beauty  has  often  been 
attained,  but  "picture  unity"  and  "picture  expres- 
sion" have  rarely  been  reached.  Certain  other  fac- 
tors are  required  to  produce  them.  If  creative  work 
is  to  enter  into  photography,  it  must  be  possible  to 
make  on  the  negative  a  line  of  any  character  and  to 
control  the  light  and  shade  with  the  facility  of  one 
who  paints. 

The  illustrations  of  this  book  show  that  those  power- 
ful resources  of  the  graphic  arts,  light  lines  and  dark 
lines,  lines  having  sharpness  and  lines  having  soft 
margins,  can  be  made  on  the  negative  as  readily  as  on 
paper  or  canvas.  The  new  processes  involved  are 
especially  rich  in  the  control  of  the  light  and  shade 
effects.  Thus  fitted  out,  photography  becomes  a  me- 
dium to  be  taken  seriously  in  art  educational  work. 

11 


PREFACE 

Suddenly  a  great  change  is  wrought  in  the  very 
aim  of  the  profession.  Whereas  by  plain  photography 
the  operator's  attention  was  directed  to  the  head  and 
figure  of  the  person  portrayed  and  the  background  was 
a  haphazard  and  illogical  factor,  the  new  photography 
aims  to  establish  the  right  relation  of  the  background 
to  the  figure,  in  order  that  the  likeness  may  be  raised 
into  portraiture  through  a  completeness  of  pictorial 
expression. 

The  photographer's  sole  reliance  upon  "lighting" 
accounts  for  the  peculiar  and  fatal  limitations  of  plain 
photography.  Lighting  exists  to  give  roundness  to 
the  forms  of  head  and  body.  In  painting  we  speak  of 
it  as  "modelling."  It  is  not  an  element  of  construction 
as  arrangement  is,  it  only  makes  more  effective  the 
well  placed  parts;  but  before  it  is  considered  other 
points  must  be  thoroughly  understood.  The  art- 
aspirant  in  photography  is  destined  to  meet  the  same 
difficulties  that  would  confront  him  in  painting.  When 
he  holds  in  his  hand  a  negative,  he  will  be  puzzled  to 
know  what  to  do  with  the  background  or  how  to  modify 
the  figure.  A  few  principles  will  help  him  to  think 
pictorially,  —  for  art  is  not  structureless,  —  and  he  will 
arrive  at  an  understanding  of  what  constitutes  the  dif- 
ference between  nature  and  art,  how  beauty  is  to  be 
secured,  and  what  factors  combine  to  regulate  expres- 
sion. He  can  then  indulge  his  love  for  invention  by 


PREFACE 

manipulating  the  photographic  plate  and  creating 
beauty  through  the  study  and  practice  of  composition. 

In  the  following  treatise  the  author  offers  an  ex- 
planation of  the  principles  and  processes  that  will 
remove  photography  from  its  limited  conventionalities 
and  place  it  among  the  free  arts.  Released  from  its 
bonds  of  custom,  it  may  advance  continually  into  new 
realms  and  become  to  the  people  an  "art"  in  its  true 
and  vital  sense.  We  shall  then  have  attained  that 
wholesome  condition  where  there  will  be  intelligent 
intercourse  upon  all  art  matters. 

This  preface  would  not  be  complete  without  an 
expression  of  gratitude  to  Mr.  J.  M.  Appleton,  for  his 
most  valuable  assistance  in  the  development  of  the 
processes  and  for  his  kindness  in  granting  me  the  use 
of  his  New  York  studio  where  the  photo-plates  con- 
tained in  this  book  were  made. 

I  also  take  pleasure  in  publicly  acknowledging  the 
encouragement  afforded  me  by  the  endorsement  of 
my  manuscript  by  the  Photographers'  Association  of 
America  at  its  annual  convention  at  Buffalo,  and  by 
a  similar  endorsement  on  the  part  of  the  Associations 
of  New  England  and  Ohio  and  Michigan. 


13 


ART   PRINCIPLES 
IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

CHAPTER  I 

ART  AND  PHOTOGRAPHY 

1\  /TODERN  artists  the  world  over,  in  defining  art  in 
-L  * -*•  the  simplest  words,  agree  that  "Art  is  arrange- 
ment." We  may  add  that  its  study  is  not  a  matter  of 
asking  for  recipes  from  this  or  that  school,  this  or  that 
national  or  racial  art,  this  or  that  period,  classical, 
renaissance,  or  modern.  On  the  contrary  it  is  the 
acquiring  of  certain  simple  principles  that  underly  all 
art  of  all  times.  By  applying  these  principles  growth 
comes,  insuring  insight  into  more  complex  methods 
of  reasoning  and  bringing  the  power  to  execute  diffi- 
cult problems. 

Photography  enters  the  field  of  art  guided  by  the 
pictorial  principle.  Photo-portraiture  should  strive  to 
attain  the  depths,  the  tactile  quality,  the  logic  and  the 
completeness  of  balance  that  delight  us  in  masterpieces 
of  drawing  or  painting  in  monochrome.  Compared 
with  the  free  art  of  painting,  photography  will  always 
have  limitations,  one  of  which  is  to  be  found  in  the 
temperamental  differences  of  the  workers  in  each  pro- 
fession. Art  in  photography  would  be  undeservedly 

15 


ART   PRINCIPLES   IN   PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

exalted  were  we  to  maintain  that  the  mental  and  emo- 
tional expenditure  in  its  production  rivals  or  even 
approaches  the  output  that  is  attendant  upon  picture 
painting.  The  more  mechanical  our  tool,  the  more 
calculating  do  we  find  ourselves  when  working  out 
the  problem;  the  more  unhampered  and  direct  our 
touch  in  its  record  of  the  seen  or  unseen  world,  the 
higher  is  the  form  of  expression. 

Composition  in  photography  is  the  easiest  study 
found  in  any  art,  because  it  does  not  require  several 
years  to  gain  a  power  over  the  medium  and  because 
colors  are  eliminated.  When  the  chemical  and  tech- 
nical sides  are  under  control,  experiments  are  made 
with  rapidity  and  results  are  gained  in  hours  that  in 
any  other  art  require  days,  weeks,  or  months;  experi- 
ences crowd  and  insight  is  rapid.  If  early  experiments 
prove  failures,  new  efforts  can  quickly  follow  until  the 
mind  and  heart  are  satisfied.  Is  there  such  a  thing  as 
complete  mastery  owing  to  this  rapid  growth?  Pos- 
sibly not,  because  photography  has  difficulties  to  meet 
that  painting  does  not  know.  The  lens  overwhelms 
us  with  detail  and  every  photographer  finds  himself 
confronted  with  the  question,  "How  may  I  suppress 
unessential  and  disturbing  accessories?"  With  the 
introduction  of  new  processes  comes  the  further  demand, 
"  How  may  I  supplement  and  balance  the  chief  interest 
in  my  representation?"  The  field  is  large  and  the 

16 


ART  AND  PHOTOGRAPHY 

rules  expand  with  the  growing  insight  of  the  artist. 
He  can  never  say  all  that  he  would;  he  cannot  work 
long  enough  or  live  long  enough  for  that.  But  he  can 
do  superior  and  individual  work  during  his  lifetime. 

Art  being  a  growth,  we  must  consider  whether  with 
the  young  it  is  not  a  natural  growth,  while  in  the  case 
of  the  mature  photographer  it  may  mean  that  he  should 
throw  aside  his  preconceived  ideas  and  his  prejudices 
against  the  phases  and  possibilities  into  which  he  has 
not  yet  penetrated.  Certain  views  held  by  a  portion 
of  the  profession  are  harmful  to  development.  For 
instance,  this  paragraph  occurred  in  a  photographic 
magazine  some  time  ago: 

"  What  is  the  difference  between  a  good  photograph 
and  an  artistic  photograph?  It  is  commonly  under- 
stood that  a  good  photograph  is  merely  a  print  from 
a  good  negative,  whilst  an  artistic  photograph  must 
have  been  carefully  selected  as  to  subject,  composition, 
and  lighting." 

In  reality  there  is  no  difference  between  a  good  and 
an  artistic  photograph.  Artistic  in  itself  embodies 
"good";  artistic  as  a  quality  is  above  the  question  of 
means  or  method,  it  deals  only  with  result.  The  word 
is  derived  from  art,  and  art  is  arrangement  to  produce 
beauty  and  logic,  or  "truth"  as  we  more  often  express 
it.  Subject  and  lighting,  lens  and  paper,  are  only 
means  to  an  end.  The  profession  must  seek  to  avoid 

17 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

weakening  its  forward  movement  by  controversies  of 
this  kind.  It  must  strike  at  the  foundation  of  the  whole 
question,  and  this  is  and  always  will  be  art.  When 
pursuing  it,  we  are  "space-fillers,"  men  who  control 
lines  and  light  and  dark  to  convey  the  meaning  we 
have  within  us.  We  cannot  transcribe  all  nature  that 
is  about  us,  because  nature  has  innumerable  truths 
called  phases.  The  camera  as  well  as  the  brush  can 
treat  only  certain  of  these  truths  to  which  the  mind  is 
open  or  sensitive.  And  the  more  we  practise  the  more 
we  see  to  interpret;  in  the  same  ratio  do  we  learn  to 
make  our  tool  —  the  camera  or  the  brush  —  record 
the  newly  grasped  truths  and  newly  felt  sentiments. 
The  only  limit  to  progress  in  the  artist  and  his  art,  either 
in  photography  or  painting,  is  in  the  limit  of  his  mental 
and  soulful  range. 

The  greatest  obstacle  the  modern  photographer 
encounters  is  his  adherence  to  an  idea  that  the  camera 
"holds  a  mirror  up  to  nature,"  that  it  is  "true  to  na- 
ture." If  that  were  so,  photography  would  be  for  all 
times  contained  among  the  sciences  and  debarred  from 
art.  For  nature  is  never  art,  nor  does  nature  as  a  whole 
ever  affect  us  as  art.  In  art  we  are  dealing  strictly 
with  the  mental  and  emotional  faculties  more  or  less 
developed  in  each  individual.  These  faculties  respond 
when,  on  a  flat  surface  such  as  paper,  we  find  certain 
emotional  and  intellectual  records  of  things  we  have 

18 


ART  AND  PHOTOGRAPHY 

seen  or  experienced  in  nature.  And  it  is  the  manner 
in  which  these  records  are  made  that  affects  us  as  art. 
Every  stroke,  touch,  spot,  and  patch  of  light  and  dark 
governed  by  the  mind  and  hand  of  the  artist  interprets 
first  an  emotion,  second  a  meaning.  In  this  lies  the 
province  of  art.  The  "mirror  of  nature,"  as  expressed 
by  photography,  is  a  cold,  impersonal,  undesirable 
tracing  of  certain  facts  reproduced  by  pure  science  — 
heartless,  uninteresting.  Its  value  is  wholly  scientific, 
and  it  deals  with  only  one  kind  of  truth.  There  is 
nothing  impressionable  or  impressive  about  it.  Pic- 
torial art  is  strongly  emotional.  It  exists  to  give 
pleasure  and  at  the  same  time  knowledge;  not  such 
knowledge  as  the  dissecting  sciences  impart,  but  the 
kind  inherent  in  music,  poetry,  literature,  religion. 

I  Nature  in  itself  has  nothing  to  do  with  art ;  it  is  only 
the  quarry,  the  reservoir  out  of  which  material  for  art 
can  be  taken.  It  is  plain,  then,  that  "true  to  nature" 
cannot  refer  to  the  comprehensive  truth,  but  that  of 
necessity  selection  of  truths  must  be  resorted  to  in  any 
event.  This  being  so,  the  phrase  "holding  a  mirror 
up  to  nature"  is  evidently  meaningless  from  the  stand- 
point of  art,  and  "true  to  nature"  must  be  understood 
as  referring  to  a  phase  of  nature  of  which  we  have 
become  conscious. 

When  photography  aims  at  art  and  not  at  science 
the  personality  of  the  photographer  becomes  at  once 

19 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

a  factor.  His  mental  state  will  record  itself  in  his  work. 
If  he  boasts  acquaintance  with  nature  only,  it  will  be 
seen;  if  he  shows  inclination  to  penetrate  into  the  laws 
of  art  his  first  steps  will  reveal  themselves,  being  evi- 
dent in  this,  that  his  new  efforts  will  betray  a  control 
of  his  camera  results,  an  elimination  of  a  certain  unde- 
sirable truth  and  the  setting  forth  of  one  that  in  his 
judgment  is  worthy  of  attention.  The  process  of  re- 
moving a  stifling  mass  of  "truths"  will  have  taken 
place.  Next  it  will  be  found  that  in  thus  selecting  he 
has  unconsciously  developed  a  "motive."  A  motive 
is  something  felt;  it  differs  from  a  subject  in  that  a 
subject  is  anything  in  nature  deemed  desirable  to  re- 
produce ;  its  definition  begins  and  ends  here.  A  motive 
grows  in  this  wise, — it  presupposes  a  subject  analyzed 
and  is  the  conception  of  the  artistic  possibilities  con- 
tained in  that  subject.  It  embodies  a  study  of  the 
inherent  beauty  and  the  harmonious  meaning  offered 
by  the  subject.  With  this  the  artist- photographer 
begins  his  career  and  separates  himself  forever  from 
the  purely  scientific  worker. 

Having  discovered  his  motive,  his  further  advance 
toward  art  is  manifest  in  his  struggles  to  express  it. 
He  feels  rather  than  reasons  that  "beauty"  is  always 
a  matter  of  arrangement,  that  "meaning"  comes  only 
with  a  certain  use  of  lines  and  light  and  dark  placed 
to  define  form  or  indicate  action.  He  will  discover 

20 


ART  AND  PHOTOGRAPHY 

that  certain  rules  will  help  him  on  his  way,  but  that 
every  rule  is  expansive  and  wonderfully  adaptable  to  his 
personality,  his  needs  and  his  ideas.  He  finds  him- 
self not  one  of  a  multitude  enlisted  in  a  scientific  pro- 
cess, but  a  free  individual,  growing  freer  as  he  advances 
in  knowledge  gained  by  study  and  practice.  A  new 
life  opens,  unclosed  to  him  by  the  treasures  of  art. 
Where  he  was  able  only  to  see  nature  and  to  experi- 
ence a  vague  longing  to  interpret  her,  he  now  gains  a 
fuller  understanding  as  he  succeeds  more  and  more 
in  picturing  her  phases  in  the  true  art  spirit.  Here 
lies  for  him  an  unbounded  source  of  study  and  inspira- 
tion; he  learns  to  aim  at  being  an  individuality  as  each 
of  the  masters  was  and  is,  and  his  art  life  has  truly 
begun. 

We  quote  again  from  a  photographic  magazine: 
"If  mere  fidelity  to  nature  be  the  qualification  for 
acknowledgment  as  art,  then  the  merest  photographic 
tyro  of  but  one  week's  experience  would  be  greater  than 
all  the  artists  of  any  time.  For  in  no  art  of  any  kind 
has  detail  been  obtained  in  the  overwhelming  way  the 
camera  gives  it.  At  no  time  has  there  been  recorded 
in  picture  form  so  much  truth  to  physical  fact." 

Verily  so  full  of  detail  is  the  literal  photograph  that 
unless  we  look  for  it  the  very  detail  is  lost.  We  find 
ourselves  gazing  at  the  photograph,  not  feeling  strongly 
a  large  truth,  receiving  a  large  impression,  but  growing 

21 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

coldly  critical,  examining  the  given  detail  and  hunting 
for  more.  Our  interest  in  such  work  is  soon  exhausted, 
while  a  photograph  of  real  pictorial  quality  holds  us 
increasingly  the  longer  we  look  at  it.  It  is  food  for  a 
lifetime  because  it  continues  to  suggest  to  us  and  it  may 
do  the  same  for  generations  to  come,  even  as  the  true 
art  works  of  the  past  speak  to  us  to-day. 

The  great  basic  principles  and  truths  remain  ever 
the  same,  although  each  new  generation  demands  a 
mode  of  expression  consistent  with  its  cravings,  thoughts, 
strivings.  Art  must  keep  abreast  of  its  time,  and  must 
not  only  reflect  our  age  for  the  future  but  must  at  this 
time  project  itself  into  the  future  with  helpful  resource- 
fulness. We  have  a  wide  horizon,  the  arts  of  many 
centuries  are  open  to  our  gaze  and  we  feel  increasingly 
their  influence.  Growth  continues;  we  must  all  aid 
in  promoting,  not  retarding,  the  advance. 


CHAPTER  II 

ART   VERSUS   NATURE 

T  TISTORIES  of  art  abound  with  declarations  that 
-*•  -*•  art  revivals  were  coincident  with  a  "return  to 
nature."  Students  of  drawing  and  painting  are  urged 
to  "go  to  nature."  Our  academic  courses  are  arranged 
not  without  some  confusion  as  to  this  precept,  the  usual 
series  of  studies  comprising  drawing  from  plaster  casts, 
possibly  from  still  life,  finally  from  the  human  figure. 
Thoroughness  of  draughtsmanship  and  acceptable  paint- 
ing of  the  nude  are  the  aim.  Most  academic  instruc- 
tion does  not  seriously  go  beyond  these  exercises  in 
rendering  form. 

There  is  a  remarkable  similarity  in  the  situations 
of  the  art  student  and  the  photographer  in  that 
neither  advances  far  enough  to  understand  where  art 
really  begins.  It  is  generally  acknowledged  that  in  no 
previous  time  in  our  history  has  there  been  so  much 
art  study  and  so  little  art  as  in  our  day.  And  this  may 
be  attributed,  at  least  in  part,  to  lack  of  insight  concern- 
ing the  relation  of  nature  to  art.  The  skilfully  drawn 
human  figure  and  the  photographically  well  rendered 

23 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

likeness  are  too  nearly  nature  imitation.  They  are 
only  the  raw  material  to  be  used  in  the  process  of  pic- 
ture-making, but  they  are  in  no  sense  the  completed 
picture.  We  must  arrive  at  considerable  maturity  in 
art  before  we  are  able  to  grasp  the  significance  that 
underlies  this  statement,  yet  it  is  possible  to  gain  in- 
sight into  that  which  is  essential,  even  at  the  outset. 

There  is  also  a  similarity  between  the  work  assigned 
to  the  art  pupil  and  the  methods  employed  by  the  pho- 
tographer. In  the  class-room  a  model  is  usually  posed 
against  an  indifferent  background  and  the  student 
centres  his  energies  upon  rendering  this  model  with- 
out making  any  special  use  of  the  resources  to  be  found 
in  the  background.  This  accounts  for  the  wearisome 
study-head  displays  at  our  annual  academic  exhibitions 
and  is  equally  responsible  for  the  immaturity  of  art 
students  when  they  have  finished  their  courses  of  study. 
The  photographer's  efforts  at  pictorial  work  fail  for  the 
same  reasons,  although  his  methods  are  different.  He 
too  centres  all  his  interest  upon  the  face  and  figure. 
His  backgrounds  are  usually  bought  "ready-made"  and 
have  no  meaning,  fitness,  or  relation  to  the  sitter.  In 
Fig.  1  we  have  an  example  and  from  an  art  point  of 
view  it  is  hopeless  photography.  What  we  condemn 
in  it  is  the  belief  of  the  photographer  that  he  has  pro- 
duced a  portrait  when  the  focus  upon  the  woman  is 

right,  and  that  she  will  be  made  picturesque  by  the 

24 


FIG.  1 


\     o 


FIG.  2 


ART  VERSUS  NATURE 

introduction  of  fantastic  accessories.  These  acces- 
sories are  a  collection  of  lines,  spots,  lights  and  darks, 
that  lead  nowhere,  that  have  no  discernible  purpose. 
They  are  supposed  to  be  beautiful  because  they  are 
unusual,  — not  found  in  our  homes  or  our  daily  life. 
Examined  for  their  own  sake  they  are  to  say  the  least 
not  artistic.  As  objects  to  be  used  with  a  figure  in 
portraiture  they  are  an  obstruction,  useless  because 
unreal,  ugly  and  senseless  in  form.  The  human  figure 
offers  wealth  of  beauty;  all  the  charm  inherent  therein 
should  be  exhausted  before  we  think  of  employing 
accessories.  If  the  character  of  the  representation  re- 
quires it,  articles  of  furniture  may  be  used  to  balance 
the  figure,  but  the  more  simple  such  objects  the  easier 
it  is  to  control  them,  to  subordinate  them  to  the  main 
thing,  which  is  of  course  the  human  interest. 

The  mistake  made  by  photographers  who  are 
addicted  to  the  use  of  "ornamental"  studio  property 
in  their  portrait  work  is  based  upon  their  belief  that 
anything  unusual  or,  according  to  their  ideas,  beautiful 
can  be  placed  in  a  picture  to  advantage.  Education 
must  help  us  to  understand  what  is  beautiful  in  fur- 
niture and  in  architectural  forms;  it  must  aid  us  in 
reading  nature  in  order  that  we  may  use  nature's  forms 
intelligently  in  pictorial  work.  For  instance,  we  will 
photograph  some  grasses,  "  a  bit  of  nature,"  —  Fig.  2. 
We  speak  of  them  by  that  term.  We  designate  in  the 

27 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

same  way  a  chair,  vase,  rug,  drapery,  bird,  or  any 
animate  or  inanimate  object.  Some  people  have  the 
impression  that  when  dealing  with  art  the  term  "na- 
ture" is  understood  to  designate  either  human  nature 
or  the  landscape  as  a  generality,  whereas  the  word  is 
applied  to  any  visible  thing  in  which  we  find  an  emo- 
tional pleasure  tempting  us  to  reproduce  its  appear- 
ance or  such  a  part  of  it  as  will  serve  to  convey  the 
impression  that  has  been  made  upon  us. 

If  we  take  in  our  hands  the  bunch  of  grasses  and 
look  at  it,  does  it  give  us  pleasure  ?  It  hardly  produces 
the  same  enjoyment  that  we  feel  when  we  see  it  grow- 
ing in  the  field  where  it  is  in  its  natural  place  and  lives 
in  the  wind  and  the  light.  In  our  hand  it  is  but  a 
specimen.  If  we  wish  to  make  it  beautiful  now,  we  must 
treat  it  as  the  Japanese  flower  arrangers  do:  we  must 
select,  reject,  and  rearrange  the  parts  of  this  bunch 
until  the  lines  and  masses  again  establish  a  condition 
of  beauty. 

The  same  is  true  in  the  representation  of  an  indi- 
vidual. In  a  snap-shot  of  a  person  on  the  street  as  he 
stands  or  walks,  we  have  again  a  fragment  of  nature 
that  is  material  to  work  upon,  but  is  thus  far  untouched 
by  our  thought  or  feeling.  We  must  fuse  ourselves 
into  it  before  it  can  have  beauty  or  meaning;  that  is 
where  art  begins.  A  bit  of  nature  taken  from  its  natural 
place  and  made  a  fragment  by  our  action  is  not  beauti- 


ART  VERSUS  NATURE 

f ul  until  our  feeling,  crystallized  into  thought  and  treat- 
ment, raises  it  to  art. 

The  grasses  then  being  such  a  fragment  must  be 
made  "art"  before  they  can  lose  their  character  of 
"specimens."  We  must  so  treat  them  that  they  are 
changed  to  something  emotional  —  our  emotion. 

In  order  to  create  emotion  in  that  which  is  endowed 
with  form  we  must  make  of  that  object  a  "unit."  And 
a  unit  is  something  that  has  consistency,  it  is  free  from 
unreasoning  contradictions;  for  instance,  Fig.  2  is  a 
mass  of  lines  and  movements  so  puzzling  to  the  eye 
that  it  simply  looks  and  is  worried,  it  studies.  In  that 
condition  the  mind  does  not  permit  any  emotion  to 
arise.  These  lines  and  movements  must  be  ordered, 
made  intelligible,  governed  by  reason,  controlled  by 
intellect,  if  they  are  to  create  emotion. 

Let  us  take  a  single  blade  of  grass ;  it  will  give  prob- 
lems difficult  enough  for  the  mind.  It  is  as  much 
"nature"  as  any  other  of  the  innumerable  waving 
things  that  make  up  the  meadow.  We  have  drawn  it 
as  it  was  found  in  the  field,  —  Fig.  3,  where  it  was 
beautiful  because  it  was  part  of  the  whole;  here  it  is 
not  beautiful  in  its  detached  form  but  it  contains  ele- 
ments of  beauty,  and  our  art  can  realize  them  and  thus 
insure  a  pleasurable  emotion  to  the  beholder.  One 
reason  why  it  is  not  beautiful  here  is  that  it  contains  a 
contradiction  and  the  mind  is  worried,  for  the  suggestion 

29 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

is  conveyed  that  the  eye  shall  look  in  two  directions 
at  the  same  time.  That  being  a  physical  impos- 
sibility, the  attempt  is  a  strain  resulting  in  failure  and 
disappointment.  Making  out  of  Fig.  3  arrows  as  in 
Fig.  4,  we  find  that  the  eye  surely  cannot  follow  both 
at  once.  There  is  a  " pulling  apart"  and  not  a  "unit," 
but  unity  can  be  produced  simply  by  twisting  the  stem. 
Thus  in  Fig.  5  the  fragment  has  been  turned  until  the 
leaf  points  along  the  line  of  its  chief  support,  bringing 
itself  into  harmony  with  the  main  intent,  which  is  up- 
ward movement.  Figure  6  emphasizes  the  same  point. 
The  result  may  be  obtained  in  another  way.  If 
we  cut  the  stem  short,  —  Fig.  7,  we  find  that  line  A  no 
longer  points  independently  outward  as  in  Figs.  3  and 
4,  but  rather  forms  a  starting-point  for  the  eye,  directing 
it  upward  with  a  circular  sweep  as  is  shown  in  the 
dotted  line  in  Fig.  8,  thus  again  creating  one  movement. 
Here  we  learn  that  certain  divisions  of  space  form  the 
basis  of  this  principle  of  obtaining  beauty,  and  control- 
ling the  meaning  by  directing  the  observer's  attention 
according  to  the  artist's  will.  For  instance,  in  Fig.  3, 
re-copied  in  Fig.  9,  the  leaf  II  is  central  between  I 
and  III.  When  we  are  walking  through  an  unknown 
country  and  come  to  an  interesting  cross-road,  we  are 
puzzled  as  to  which  path  to  take,  —  Fig.  10.  The  mind 
is  alike  troubled  in  Fig.  3  and  Fig.  9  and  knows  not 
whither  to  turn 

30 


ART  VERSUS  NATURE 


FIG.  3 


FIG.  4 


FIG.  5 


FIG.  6 


31 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  7 


FIG.  8 


in 


FIG.  9 


FIG.  10 


ART  VERSUS  NATURE 

But  if  the  road  terminates  as  at  A  in  Fig.  11,  and 
continues  toward  B,  it  will  not  require  an  unpleasant 
mental  effort  to  choose  the  way.  Quite  the  same  sen- 
sations are  produced  in  Fig.  7.  There  is  no  puzzle, 
no  contradiction,  nothing  to  worry  the  mind;  it  easily 
follows  the  indicated  direction  and  the  "oneness,"  a 
"unit,"  is  created.  Thus  freedom  from  strain  or  effort 
is  a  first  condition  for  sense  of  pleasure. 


FIG.  11 


"oneness," 


There  are  still  other  ways  of  producing 
but  they  need  not  now  claim  our  attention.  We  have 
seen  enough  to  understand  that  everything  we  wish  to 
picture  is  of  necessity  but  a  fragment  amputated  from 
nature  as  a  whole,  and  to  that  extent  it  is  either  un- 
natural or  "dead"  until  our  mind  again  manipulates  it 

33 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

and  makes  of  it  a  thing  living  in  art,  that  is,  a  thing 
capable  of  being  grasped  by  the  mind  and  touching  the 
emotion.  Herein  lies  the  difference  between  science 
and  art.  The  scientist  does  not  look  at  the  grass  as 
does  the  man  endowed  with  artistic  susceptibilities. 
The  former  notes  the  growth,  dissects  the  plant,  and 
carries  with  him  a  number  of  facts  relative  to  this  dis- 
section, for  classification.  The  process  is  largely  intel- 
lectual. The  artist  studies  the  shapes  and  spaces  with 
a  view  of  discovering  a  harmony  that  is  to  be  preserved 
in  the  mind  or  on  paper  for  a  lasting  pleasure,  chiefly 
emotional.  But^the  artist  goes  still  further;  his  office 
is  to  perpetuate  beauty,  to  create  emotion  out  of  shapes 
he  sees  in  nature,  and  that  emotion  is  to  be  expressed 
upon  a  flat  surface,  paper  or  canvas.  This  brings  with 
it  new  conditions. 

In  Figs.  2  through  11,  we  were  considering  a  bit  of 
nature  held  in  the  hand  and  we  discovered  certain  laws 
of  beauty  in  it.  When  we  try  to  reproduce  this  frag- 
ment on  a  flat  surface,  we  at  once  meet  with  the  ques- 
tion of  proportion.  It  would  be  senseless  to  represent 
this  blade  of  grass,  Fig.  3,  on  the  wall  of  a  room. 
The  space  would  not  only  be  too  large  but  there  would 
be  no  apparent  limit  to  it.  When  the  eye  looks  at  any 
object,  it  demands  that  the  object  should  have  relation 
to  something.  Now  of  necessity  a  drawing  of  a  blade 
of  grass  is  a  stationary  thing,  and  it  would  be  opposed 

34 


; $$iN£IPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  12 


FIG.  13 


C       D 


I 


A     B  FIG.  14 


FIG.  15 


36 


ART  VERSUS  NATURE 

to  natural  law  to  make  it  appear  detached  in  a  vast 
space  that  is  blank.  If  the  grass  is  blown  through  the 
air  by  the  wind,  it  is  at  least  moving,  never  suspended 
motionless. 

As  soon  as  we  make  a  reasonable  boundary  to  the 
space  in  which  the  grass  is  to  be  represented,  this  in- 
congruity is  obviated.  Such  a  limit  must  necessarily 
be  an  artificial  one;  it  is  commonly  called  a  frame.  In 
Fig.  12  we  have  such  a  frame  containing  the  grass 
stalk.  The  eye  can  at  the  same  time  see  the  grass  and 
be  conscious  of  the  frame,  for  a  relation  is  established 
between  the  two;  but  as  it  here  stands  no  one  will  say 
that  the  result  is  beautiful  or  impressive.  Therefore 
we  have  to  face  another  principle.  A  logical  relation 
must  be  established  between  the  motive  (which  in  this 
case  is  the  grass),  the  frame,  and  the  full  area  bounded 
by  the  frame.  The  motive  should  always  hold  our 
interest,  therefore  it  must  dominate  the  space.  When 
this  blade  of  grass  is  impressively  placed  upon  the  pic- 
ture plane,  it  causes  certain  space  divisions,  and  it  is 
the  character  of  these  divisions  that  makes  or  prevents 
beauty.  Contrasting  Fig.  13  with  Fig.  12,  the  space- 
dominating  character  of  the  grass  in  Fig.  13  seems 
logical  and  impressive  as  compared  to  its  condition  in 
Fig.  12.  Figure  13  is  faulty,  however,  in  one  essential, 
namely,  its  sameness  of  space  division,  which  in  Fig.  14 

is  exposed.     The  grass  cuts  the  picture  space  so  that 

37 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

C-D  and  A-B  are  the  same  in  length;  the  space  G 
resembles  closely  Gx,  the  latter  being  inverted.  The 
only  element  having  variety  in  this  arrangement  is  the 
small  blade  I  as  shown  in  Fig.  15,  the  space  above 
being  larger  than  that  below.  This  blade  of  grass  by 
creating  an  unequal  division  preserves  the  "unit"  of 
the  surface  area.  As  here  drawn  it  affects  us  as  a  line, 
not  as  a  leaf,  thereby  removing  the  necessity  of  account- 
ing for  its  floating. 

A  motive  submits  to  being  arranged  upon  the  frame- 
bounded  surface. 

Do  we  not  now  begin  to  understand  the  law  that 
art  is  not  nature,  not  direct  copying  of  nature,  not  even 
arrangement  of  nature  in  her  concrete  forms  ?  Art  in 
its  highest  sense  reduces  nature  to  abstract  form.  Na- 
ture furnishes  us  with  shapes ;  we  accept  the  lines,  spots, 
masses,  etc.,  furnished  by  these  shapes,  and  we  make 
art  by  breaking  up  a  surface  with  them  and  creating 
beautiful  arrangement.  Whether  the  lines,  spots,  etc., 
are  formed  by  one  blade  of  grass  or  by  many,  by  trees, 
drapery,  or  a  person's  face  and  figure,  they  must  be 
considered  and  treated  in  their  abstract  quality  before 
the  perfect  space-filling  can  be  attained. 

Referring  again  to  the  photograph  heading  this 
chapter,  we  find  that  the  woman,  like  the  bunch  of 
grass,  is  simply  a  fragment  of  nature  presented  to  us 
with  accessories  that  hardly  remind  us  of  the  objects 

38 


ART  VERSUS  NATURE 

with  which  she  is  constantly  associated.  We  must 
confess,  therefore,  that  there  is  less  naturalness  in  the 
picture  than  in  the  bunch  of  grasses.  There  is  some- 
thing repulsive  in  this  affectation,  it  is  destructive  of 
the  sense  of  reality  we  would  have  when  representing 
human  beings  pictorially.  Art  is  not  "make  believe," 
it  is  not  artificiality,  it  deals  in  its  healthiest  state  with 
truth.  When  making  a  picture  of  this  woman  we  need 
not  sacrifice  her  distinct  character  in  order  to  make 
her  attractive.  We  shall  see  in  a  later  chapter  how  a 
desirable  result  has  been  attained. 

Art  takes  its  material  from  realities,  but  art  con- 
sists not  of  the  realities.  It  is  more  nearly  the  impres- 
sion of  the  realities  and  of  the  most  vital  truths,  physical 
and  spiritual.  Art  is  from  within. 


39 


CHAPTER  III 

THEORY   OF   SPOTS 

THE  first  thing  that  gives  evidence  of  a  desire  for 
expression  in  black  and  white  art  is  the  placing 
of  a  dot  or  spot  upon  paper.  It  is  a  means  of  expres- 
sion because  it  betrays  a  purpose.  If  to  that  dot  or 
spot  is  added  a  second,  there  is  more  than  an  expression, 
there  is  evident  intention,  and  the  mind  looks  from  one 
to  the  other,  wishing  to  understand  the  significance  of 
these  two  placings.  If  a  third  spot  is  added  there  is 
increased  significance. 

Dots  placed  as  in  Figures  16  and  17  convey  the  idea 
of  something  enumerated,  they  have  no  art  significance, 
no  picture  meaning.  If,  however,  they  are  in  a  given 
space  enclosed  by  boundary  lines  such  as  a  square, 
oblong  or  oval,  they  assume  an  art  meaning,  —  a  mean- 
ing that  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  art.  For  instance, 
where  in  Fig.  18  the  dot  emphasizes  the  centre  of  a 
picture  surface,  all  attention  in  the  square  plane  is 
drawn  to  the  one  spot.  But  in  pictures  we  should  be 
interested  in  more  than  the  mere  centre;  in  Chapter  II 
we  learned  that  the  whole  space  became  important, 

40 


THEORY  OF  SPOTS 


FIG.  16 


FIG.  17 


FIG.  18 


FIG.  19 


41 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


that  everything  between  the  boundary  lines  should  be 
of  interest.  As  a  step  toward  accomplishing  this  we 
introduce  a  second  spot  to  lead  away  from  the  centre,  — 
Fig.  19.  Now  our  attention  is  no  longer  limited  to  one 
place  but  is  directed  upward,  and  we  perceive  the  first 
evidence  of  controlled  art  intention.  There  is  a  con- 
scious method  employed  of  leading  the  attention  of  the 
observer  in  the  direction  the  artist  desires.  We  find 


FIG.  20 

in  Fig.  19  that  something  is  still  lacking,  that  the  pic- 
ture plane  as  a  whole  is  not  felt;  there  is  merely  an 
upward  movement  and  the  lower  part  is  empty.  What- 
ever may  be  put  below  the  central  dot  will  direct  the 
attention  downward  just  as  the  spot  above  drew  the 
interest  upward.  Thus  in  Fig.  20  the  picture  plane 
has  reached  a  development  that  makes  us  perceive  a 
"space-filling"  of  the  entire  square.  We  note  again 

42 


THEORY  OF  SPOTS 


FIG.  21 


o 


o 


FIG.  22 


FIG.  23 


43 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  24 
44 


THEORY  OF  SPOTS 

the  principle  that  whatever  is  placed  upon  the  surface 
made  by  four  bounding  lines  or  by  the  circle  is  a  means 
of  expression,  and  to  so  use  this  means  that  it  will 
accomplish  what  we  intend  is  to  employ  the  art  lan- 
guage. 

Let  us  analyze  further.  The  eye  is  so  created  that 
it  can  focus  upon  only  one  spot  at  a  time.  For  instance, 
if  a  boy  is  shown  two  apples  of  equal  size,  color,  and 
shape,  and  is  asked  to  choose,  his  eye  will  wander  from 
one  to  the  other.  In  the  effort  to  see  both  he  would 
have  to  look  at  a  point  between  them;  he  would  then 
be  conscious  of  the  one  to  the  right  and  the  other  to 
the  left,  but  he  would  not  see  them  directly.  So  the 
mind  when  dealing  with  two  spots  alike  in  size  does 
not  linger  on  either,  the  attention  is  equally  distributed, 
— Fig.  21.  If,  however,  we  make  one  large  and  the  other 
small, — Fig.  22,  the  mind  accepts  the  large  one  as  a  kind 
of  accent  or  evidence  of  strength,  and  the  smaller  as  an 
accessory,  or  if  two  small  ones  are  grouped,  — Fig.  23, 
they  assume  the  relation  to  a  third  small  one  that  the 
large  spot  held  to  the  smaller,  the  mind  going  from 
the  latter  to  the  former.  The  same  principle  holds 
when  a  third,  fourth,  fifth  or  other  spot  is  used,  pro- 
vided no  other  factor  is  called  into  play. 

To  make  this  applicable  at  once  we  will  show  three 
spots  from  a  work  arranged  pictorially, — Fig.  24.  The 

largest  is  composed  of  a  well-lighted  head,  the  second 

45 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

in  size  is  made  by  the  hand,  and  the  third  shows  only 
part  of  the  hand.  These  spots  being  of  unequal  size, 
the  mind  is  directed  from  one  to  the  other,  the  eye 
passing  from  the  frame  limit  by  way  of  the  small  spot 
on  the  right,  thence  to  the  other  hand  and  then  to  the 
head,  where  it  rests;  or  it  may  be  that  the  attention  is 
drawn  in  from  the  frame  line  at  the  top,  fastens  upon 
the  large  spot  forming  the  head,  and  though  virtually 
held  there  is  attracted  downward  by  the  lesser  spots  of 
the  hands  and  is  made  conscious  of  the  whole  picture 
surface.  This  is  a  successful  expression  of  the  artist's 
wish,  his  desire  being  to  paint  a  portrait  in  which,  of 
course,  the  head  holds  the  chief  interest. 

Let  us  suppose  that  our  picture  plan  must  conform, 
not  to  a  portrait,  but  to  an  illustration  in  which  a  news- 
paper held  in  the  hand  is  to  receive  a  preponderance 
of  interest.  We  can  draw  notice  away  from  the  face 
to  the  newspaper  and  the  hand  by  the  principle  shown 
in  Fig.  25.  Here  again  the  largest  spot  gains  and  holds 
our  attention.  But  if  inexperience  has  led  us  to  plan  a 
portrait  as  sketched  in  Fig.  25,  we  may  still  be  able 
to  draw  the  observer's  thought  from  the  newspaper 
and  most  comfortably  establish  it  upon  the  face  by 
the  simple  device  illustrated  in  Fig.  26,  --  the  intro- 
duction of  a  window  possessing  such  characteristics 
that  the  right  portrait-balance  is  established. 

The  photographer  who  has  long  cherished  marginal 

46 


FIG.  25 

47 


FIG.  27 


FIG.  28 


THEORY  OF  SPOTS 

sharpness  everywhere  will  doubtless  feel  perplexed 
when  he  first  tries  to  think  of  nature  in  the  abstract 
and  endeavors  to  apply  the  principle.  Figure  27  is 
an  instance  in  which  the  coat,  hands,  face,  and  back- 
ground have  been  rendered  with  equal  mechanical 
exactness,  although  the  photographer  was  no  doubt 
impressed  with  the  intellectuality  of  the  man.  This 
literalism  debars  him  from  the  realization  of  his  other- 
wise rightly  executed  plan  in  which  by  his  three-spot 
arrangement  he  has  succeeded  in  leading  our  atten- 
tion from  the  hands  to  the  face.  The  same  negative 
has  yielded  Fig.  28,  where  unessential  facts  of  form 
have  been  suppressed  and  the  largest  spot  of  light 
has  had  its  definitions  emphasized  until  the  face  holds 
us  with  a  heightened  interest  found  only  in  portrait- 
ure and  always  absent  in  the  mere  likeness.  It  will 
be  seen  that  no  principle  of  art  is  independently  active 
and  we  must  try  to  discover  the  place  of  each  in  the 
interrelation  of  things  pictorial.  For  instance,  it  is 
interesting  to  discover  that  in  Fig.  28  a  white  patch 
of  linen  has  helped  to  make  the  whole  head  more 
effective.  It  is  so  placed  that  it  breaks  the  directness 
of  the  triangle  formed  by  the  hands  and  head  and  gives 
the  composition  of  the  spots  the  grace  of  the  letter  S. 
The  background,  too,  has  been  relieved  of  its  metallic 
impenetrable  quality  by  soft  gradations  of  light  add- 
ing to  the  effect  of  depth.  The  mood  created  by 

53 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

these  added  and  changed  effects  is  continued  through 
the  picture  by  the  treatment  of  the  hands  and  the  coat; 
the  inert  folds,  the  materialism  confronting  us  in  the 
cloth  texture  in  Fig.  27,  have  been  pervaded  in  Fig.  28 
with  an  emotional  quality  singularly  in  harmony  with 
the  rendering  of  this  man's  personality. 

The  spot  arrangement  of  Fig.  25  is  reproduced 
in. the  pose  of  the  figure  in  Fig.  29.  Notice  that 
although  the  face  is  full  of  character  and  naturally 
sympathetic,  it  does  not  hold  our  gaze  because  the 
newspaper  constantly  pulls  our  interest  downward  and 
forces  us  to  divide  our  attention.  Since  in  portraiture 
we  endeavor  to  establish  a  truly  live  relationship  be- 
tween the  one  pictured  and  ourselves,  we  cannot, 
without  utter  destruction  to  the  portrait  element,  per- 
mit such  inconsistencies  to  occur.  The  distribution 
of  the  spots  should  be  so  well  directed  and  all  else 
should  so  contribute  to  their  support  that  the  eye  would 
sift  vitality  from  the  whole  picture  area  and  we  would 
have  the  consciousness  of  a  personality  whose  pres- 
ence would  permeate  every  part.  Under  these  con- 
ditions the  eyes  of  the  sitter  become  very  effective  as 
a  means  of  direct  communication  with  us.  Illustra- 
tion 30  has  the  subtlety  of  treatment  that,  refusing  to 
be  disturbed  by  the  aggressiveness  of  the  newspaper 
and  harsh  line  of  the  cuff,  establishes  through  "bal- 
ance" the  dominating  interest  about  and  in  the  face, 

54 


FIG.  29 


FIG.  30 


FIG.  31 


THEORY  OF  SPOTS 

the  eyes  gaining  in  expression.  How  much  more  real, 
plastic,  healthy,  restful  is  the  face  pictured  in  Fig.  30, 
and  yet  both  are  printed  from  the  same  negative,  Fig. 
29  before  manipulation,  Fig.  30  afterward. 

Character,  physical  strength,  dignity,  soulfulness, 
beauty  are  gained  in  art  through  "treatment,"  as  is 
witnessed  in  the  transformation  of  Fig.  29  into  Fig.  30. 
Over  the  head  in  Fig.  30  there  is  a  circular  light  that 
lifts  the  figure  into  space,  giving  it  erectness,  strength 
of  character.  In  Fig.  31  this  light  is  missing,  certain 
movements  of  the  darks  weigh  down  the  forms  and 
introduce  a  depression.  Figure  29  can  be  pictorially 
developed  by  other  means  than  the  one  we  have  chosen ; 
in  fact  every  touch  upon  the  negative  will  change  the 
character  of  the  person  portrayed.  No  other  medium 
is  so  well  calculated  to  help  us  to  realize  how  facial 
and  picture  expression  comes  into  being.  Notice  that 
the  eyes,  hair,  ear,  collar,  background,  coat,  hands, 
cuff,  are  all  immobile  in  Fig.  29,  but  the  slight  changes 
in  Fig.  30  have  brought  the  quiver,  the  liveliness,  the 
life-likeness,  into  all  the  parts. 

Facial  expression  is  not  a  fixed  thing.  It  is  de- 
pendent upon  the  treatment  of  its  surroundings. 


59 


CHAPTER  IV 

BEAUTY  THROUGH    SPOT   ARRANGEMENT 


question   naturally   arises:   can   one  not   see 
the  face  better  when  it  is  placed  in  the  centre  as 
in  Fig.  18  and  Fig.  32?     It  certainly  is  seen  suddenly, 


FIG.  32 

but  the  mind  does  not  remain  with  it,  for  the  attention 
jumps  to  the  four  boundary  lines  and  the  picture  is 
made  restless,  or  else  the  head  gathers  in  all  the  strength 
as  a  whirlpool  sucks  in  the  water,  perpetually  drain- 
ing the  visible  plain  where  there  should  be  a  sustain- 
ing of  all  the  parts.  Unless  modified,  the  picture  is 

60 


BEAUTY  THROUGH  SPOT  ARRANGEMENT 

not  good  for  that  reason.  We  should  be  made  to 
feel  the  surface  as  a  whole.  It  may  be  inferred  from 
this  that  beauty  is  very  much  a  matter  of  relation,  for 
feeling  comes  with  certain  conditions.  To  establish 
conditions  for  pleasurable  sensations  is  the  artist's 
problem. 


FIG.  33 

There  are  two  kinds  of  beauty;  one  is  shown  in 
pictorial,  one  in  conventional  art.  With  the  latter 
we  have  nothing  to  do  as  it  belongs  to  architecture, 
the  applied  arts,  etc.  Its  law  is  repetition;  for  in- 
stance, in  the  panel,  —  Fig.  33,  the  design  on  one  side 
is  repeated  in  reverse  on  the  other.  Border  patterns 
repeat  the  same  form  indefinitely. 

Pictorial  art,  dealt  with  in  portraiture,  in  the  figure 
and  in  landscape,  is  based  on  the  law  of  variety.  Let 
us  illustrate  with  spots  again.  When  we  have  a  spot  in 
the  centre  unrelieved,  it  is  not  a  pictorial  element  but 

61 


ART  PRINCIPLES   IN   PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  34 


FIG.  35 


C* 

A  A 


A 


FIG.  36 


B 


C 


D 


FIG.  37 


BEAUTY  THROUGH  SPOT  ARRANGEMENT 


a  conventional  one, — Fig.  34;  a  line  extending  from  the 
frame  to  the  spot  has  always  its  duplicate  on  the  oppo- 
site side.  If  a  second  spot  is  added  as  in  Fig.  35,  the 
conventional  characteristics  are  not  destroyed  although 
we  are  aiming  at  the  pictorial.  It  is  not  always  easy 
to  place  the  second  dot  so  that  the  result  will  be  free 
from  the  conventional.  We  find  in  Fig.  36  the  dis- 
tance from  A  to  B  is  exactly  the  same  as  from  C  to  D; 


FIG.  38 


FIG.  39 


that  A  to  C  and  C  to  E  are  the  same.  We  have  repeti- 
tion, conventionality.  If  in  Fig.  37  we  change  the 
position  of  the  second  spot,  we  avoid  the  repetition  of 
Fig.  35;  the  distances  from  the  side  frame  lines  vary, 
A  to  B  being  longer  than  B  to  C,  but  we  still  have 
an  error,  for  the  distances  from  B  to  D  and  B  to  E  are 
the  same.  Figure  38  is  no  better.  In  Fig.  39  there 
is  an  improvement;  we  have  irregular  distances  created 

63 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  40 


FIG.  41 


FIG.  42 


Fra.43 


64 


BEAUTY  THROUGH  SPOT  ARRANGEMENT 


by  the  spots.  But  there  is  a  fault  in  the  sameness  of 
their  direction.  The  horizontal  character  of  the  frame 
is  emphasized,  as  in  Fig.  36  we  had  an  emphasis  upon 
the  vertical,  both  leaning  toward  the  conventional  and 
therefore  dangerous  to  the  principle  we  are  considering. 
In  Fig.  40  we  secure  the  pictorial  element  in  the  plac- 
ing of  this  spot. 


FIG.  44 


FIG.  45 


It  is  still  more  difficult  to  place  a  third  spot  cor- 
rectly. In  Fig.  41  the  repetition  is  aggravated;  we  are 
tempted  to  count  three.  It  would  be  harmful  to  place 
another  dot  in  Fig.  37  so  as  to  make  Fig.  42,  even 
though  some  of  the  distances  are  irregular,  for  the  plane 
is  evenly  divided  into  two  parts,  therefore  unpictorial, 
— Fig.  43.  To  elucidate  Fig.  41  by  means  of  a  picture, 
imagine  the  light  striking  three  objects,  the  face,  feather 
in  the  hat,  and  one  hand,  thus  placed, —  Fig.  44.  The 
result  is  painful.  Figure  45  gives  us  the  head  and 

65 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  46 
66 


BEAUTY  THROUGH  SPOT  ARRANGEMENT 

hands  very  conventional  and  hence  bad  for  pictorial 
purposes.  To  improve  it  we  have  but  to  move  one  of 
the  hands. 

After  this  explanation  there  can  be  no  difficulty 
in  understanding  why  Fig.  47  offers  better  oppor- 
tunity for  pictorial  qualities  than  Fig.  32.  Fig.  48  is 


FIG.  47  FIG.  48 

an  improvement  over  Fig.  47,  avoiding  as  it  does 
every  geometric  tendency.  Fig.  49  may  be  equally 
satisfactory  if  carefully  worked  out.  It  calls  to  mind 
some  of  the  interesting  problems  from  Rembrandt's 
brush. 

From  the  standpoint  of  beauty,  Figs.  24  and  28 
demonstrate  the  successful  placing  of  three  spots  form- 
ing the  head  and  hands,  and  Figures  26  and  30  show 

67 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

examples  of  satisfactory  placing  of  head,  hands,  and 
the  accessories  required  for  balance.  The  rounder  the 
head,  the  greater  the  disadvantage  in  the  central  placing, 
but  when  the  full  face  effect  is  made  irregular  by  the 
extension  of  the  luminous  flesh  mass  into  such  connect- 
ing lights  as  may  be  furnished  by  the  sitter's  costume, 
a  decentralization  is  of  itself  effected  and  the  problem 


FIG.  49 


of  balance  becomes  easier.  A  three-quarter  view  or  a 
profile, — Fig.  46,  has  this  same  advantage,  as  the  lighted 
flesh  portion  is  irregular. 

An  oblong  frame  is  often  advisable  in  portraiture, 
as  with  it  we  can  better  escape  our  natural  tendency 
to  conventionalize.  We  instinctively  place  the  head 


BEAUTY  THROUGH  SPOT  ARRANGEMENT 

above  the  centre,  though  we  may  still  be  tempted  to 
maintain  the  middle  distance  between  the  uprights. 

Beauty  in  pictorial  art  is  found  in  a  perfectly  bal- 
anced irregularity;  it  is  the  outcome  of  a  plan,  a  mental 
picture  realized  in  black  and  white. 


69 


CHAPTER  V 

LINES 

TO  those  who  have  seen  Van  Dyck's  portrait  of 
William  of  Nassau  in  the  Hermitage  at  St.  Peters- 
burg, reproduced  in  illustration  51,  our  rendering  of 
the  same  subject  in  Fig.  50  must  seem  like  a  travesty. 
When  a  human  being  has  lost  his  background,  in  other 
words,  when  from  his  memory  vanish  all  traces  of  his 
past,  his  mind  becomes,  relatively  speaking,  a  blank. 
Who  will  not  say  upon  comparing  Fig.  50  with  Fig. 
51  that  the  mental  state  of  Fig.  50  is  largely  due  to 
the  "blank"  background?  There  are  portraits  by  the 
great  masters  in  which  the  background  is  kept  very 
simple,  but  it  is  not  blank.  On  the  contrary,  the  trans- 
lucent medium  -  -  the  oil  mixed  with  the  colors  - 
is  productive  of  depth  and  is  suggestive.  The  photo- 
graphic print  does  not  in  the  least  share  those  qualities. 
It  presents  a  background  hard,  metallic,  impenetrable, 
unassimilative.  Art  students  whose  study  of  the  old 
masters  is  confined  to  "half  tones"  should  take  into 
consideration  the  quality  in  the  printer's  ink  that 
falsifies  the  effect  of  the  originals,  sometimes  reducing 

70  \ 


V    •  ••  I  *. 

.       •••••        •      • 


FIG.  50 


FIG.  51 


LINES 

the  simple  oil  background  to  the  barrenness  of  a  photo- 
graphic print. 

We  must  consider  the  resources  of  the  medium  at 
our  command.  Whereas  oil  painting  gives  us  pulsating 
life,  even  in  monotone  backgrounds,  photography  forces 
us  to  create  that  quality  through  gradation,  or  we  may 
cut  the  surface  with  form-margins  called  lines. 

In  Fig.  50  the  tightness  of  texture  suppresses  life, 
the  density  is  an  impenetrable  wall  confronting  our 
intellect.  This  dead  flat  background,  however,  is  less 
offensive  than  the  devices  used  by  photographers  in 
the  past  to  "set  off"  the  figure.  We  can  all  recall  a 
ghastly  array  of  scenic  nonsense  that  occupied  a  cor- 
ner of  every  photographic  studio.  See  what  signifi- 
cance is  everywhere  manifest  in  Fig.  51.  The  picture 
lives  and  our  imagination  is  stimulated  by  it.  In  Fig. 
50  the  figure  is  like  the  grasses  plucked  from  the  field, 
it  has  become  a  specimen  and  has  little  relation  to 
anything.  Plainly,  it  is  impossible  in  an  unmanipu- 
lated  photograph  to  make  the  figure  seem  other  than 
central,  isolated,  "glued  on,"  because  of  this  naked- 
ness in  its  surroundings. 

In  learning  how  to  establish  a  relation  of  the  three 
factors,  figure,  background  and  frame,  we  come  to 
consideration  of  beauty  gained  through  the  placing  of 
lines.  In  Fig.  52  we  have  the  picture  plane  on  which 

a  line  is  to  be  placed.     In  Fig.  53  the  line  is  drawn 

75 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  52 


FIG.  53 


FIG.  54 


FIG.  55 


76 


LINES 

through  the  horizontal  centre,  thus  giving  us  two  sur- 
faces of  equal  spacing  instead  of  one,  and  thereby 
violating  the  law  that  demands  of  a  picture  that  it 
should  always  impress  us  as  a  whole,  should  retain  its 
entirety,  its  "oneness."  Placing  the  second  line  in 
the  hope  of  realizing  this  "oneness"  by  adding  a  ver- 
tical, we  aggravate  the  trouble  by  making  four  pic- 
ture surfaces,  —  Fig.  54.  To  illustrate  by  means  of 
a  landscape,  if  we  were  to  imagine  the  central  line 
of  Fig.  53  the  horizon,  the  upper  part  sky,  the  lower 
section  the  ocean,  we  would  in  its  present  state  see 
neither  sky  nor  water.  If,  however,  we  were  to  drop 
the  line  we  should  see  the  sky  and  be  conscious  of  the 
ocean, — Fig.  55;  or  if  we  were  to  make  the  line  higher 
we  would  see  the  water  and  feel  the  presence  of  the 
sky,— Fig.  56.  In  Figs.  55 
and  56  we  create  by  the  use 
of  the  line  not  two  pictures 
but  one  whole  impression. 
We  have  accomplished  this 
through  irregularity  of  di- 
visions. 

The  laws  are  the  same 
when  we  make  use   of  the 


figure.      Its     forms,     each  ^ 56 

bounded  and  defined  by  lines  that  produce  a  pleasant 

variety,  offer  limitless  opportunities  for  beautiful  plac- 


77 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

ing  on  the  picture  plane.  As  we  work  toward  this  end 
we  combine  a  delightful  exercise  with  excellent  train- 
ing and  the  development  of  our  appreciative  powers. 

Figure  57  presents  an  extremely  conventional  pose. 
We  should  waste  our  time  in  trying  to  make  the  pictorial 
out  of  it.  Its  spot  arrangement  —  face  and  hands  — 
is  on  the  plan  of  the  drawing,  Fig.  45,  that  was  found 
to  possess  no  pictorial  qualities.  If  we  study  the 
drawing,  Fig.  60,  we  shall  see  how  far  the  photograph, 
Fig.  57,  departs  from  the  attainment  of  a  pictorial 
ensemble.  In  Fig.  60  a  line  from  A  to  B  shows  an 
equal  division  of  the  picture  plane;  the  face  and  body 
of  the  sitter  are  also  divided  symmetrically.  ^Estheti- 
cally  considered,  monotony  is  made  more  prevalent  by 
the  exact  horizontal  repetition  of  the  features,  as  the 
series  of  lines  marked  G  shows.  Observe  the  lower 
frame  line.  On  it  points  C  are  each  equally  distant 
from  the  uprights,  their  distance  to  points  D  are  the 
same,  and  the  spaces  between  D  and  A  do  not  vary. 

The  change  effected  in  Fig.  58  will  appeal  to  us 
all.  Several  pictorial  concessions  are  made,  the  chief 
one  being  in  the  lines  from  the  shoulders  and  the  way 
they  meet  the  frame.  The  conventional  has  vanished 
and  one  element  of  the  pictorial  has  been  secured. 
See  Fig.  61.  The  frame  line  shows  variety  in  the 
spacings.  The  distance  from  A  to  B  is  nowhere  re- 
peated on  the  four  sides,  nor  is  the  space  formed  by 

78 


•I 


FIG.  57 


FIG.  59 


LINES 


D  E 


FIG.  61 


FIG.  62 


FIG.  63 


83 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

B-C,  duplicated.  D-E  stands  the  same  test.  A  study 
of  inverted  photographs  is  to  be  recommended  highly 
for  the  purpose  of  minimizing  the  personal  element 
and  emphasizing  the  abstract  quality  of  lines  and  spaces. 
In  Fig.  62  we  find  that  each  space  on  one  side  has  its 
exact  duplicate  upon  the  other.  The  shapes  of  spaces 
in  Fig.  63  offer  a  refreshing  variety.  The  area  of  the 
space  A  is  large  and  irregular,  B  is  not  like  D,  nor  is 
C  similar,  while  E  differs  from  all  the  others.  This 
test  shows  our  picture  plan  to  have  undergone  a  great 
improvement. 

Returning  to  a  consideration  of  our  photograph, 
we  find  that  in  Fig.  58  there  is  present  such  a  maze 
of  detail,  such  a  conglomeration  of  smaller  lines,  that 
the  effectiveness  of  the  structural  lines  is  reduced. 
Moreover,  no  mere  pose  will  satisfy  our  longing  for 
completeness  of  pictorial  expression.  In  this  print 
the  impression  made  upon  us  is  that  we  have  in  some 
sense  a  caged  man.  Certainly  the  largeness  of  his 
personality  is  not  embodied  in  the  representation. 

In  Fig.  59  a  suppression  of  the  annoying  details  is 
partially  effected  and  they  are  made  even  less  trouble- 
some by  a  balancing  feature  thrown  into  the  back- 
ground,—  the  vertical  line  and  tone  extending  from 
the  shoulder  to  the  upper  frame.  Notice  how  it  has 
promoted  variety  in  the  spacings.  The  man  seems 
more  natural,  we  come  into  nearer  relationship  with 

84 


FIG.  64 


FIG.  65 


FIG.  66 


LINES 

him.  In  Fig.  64  the  picture  effect  has  gained  in  ex- 
pression until  we  feel  the  sitter  as  a  real  presence. 
"Space-filling"  and  "treatment"  have  effected  these 
results. 

After  this  analysis  it  is  comparatively  easy  to  find 
the  cause  for  monotony  in  other  prints.  In  Fig.  65, 
for  example,  we  notice  at  once  the  repetition  of  the 
distances  marked  A,  B,  C,  D,  in  Fig.  67.  The  same 
motive  has  been  pictorially  rendered  in  Fig.  66  where 
the  whole  space  is  beautifully  broken  into  irregular 
divisions. 

If  considered  as  a  specimen  of  childhood,  the  little 
girl  represented  in  print  114  is  beautiful,  but  from  the 
pictorial  standpoint  the  photograph  cannot  justly  lay 
claim  to  so  strong  an  adjective.  The  child  seems 
forcefully  detained  in  an  environment  to  which  she 
is  not  accustomed.  She  has  no  relation  to  this  cur- 
tain or  floor.  Pictorial  treatment  will  help  us  to  love 
her,  to  enter  into  her  life  and  to  enjoy  it  with  her. 
And  the  pictorial  means  for  accomplishing  this  are 
simple.  Certain  changes  in  the  masses  of  light  and 
dark  perform  the  miracle.  We  have  advanced  suffi- 
ciently in  the  study  of  art  to  understand  that  when  in 
Fig.  68  space  A  is  as  wide  as  B  or  C,  one  becomes  as  in- 
teresting as  the  other  and  claims  our  attention  about 
as  much.  We  may  conclude  that  when  a  background 
clamors  so  forcibly  to  be  seen  it  has  lost  its  place. 

89 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


90 


LINES 

To  make  this  little  girl  a  real  child  we  must  draw 
attention  to  whatever  holds  her  interest.  The  prin- 
ciple of  leading  the  eye  set  forth  in  Chapter  III  will 
help  us  to  do  this.  In  the  plain  photograph,  Fig.  114, 
the  rectangular  shape  of  the  white  gown  claims  our 
attention  because  it  is  the  chief  accent.  The  hands 
holding  the  apple,  and  the  pretty  face  with  its  eager 
interest,  are  thereby  made  trivial.  In  the  manipulated 
photograph,  Fig.  115,  the  despotic  lower  line  of  the 
dress  is  properly  subdued;  other  lines  and  parts  of 
the  frock  are  shaded  into  softness  and,  as  they  retire, 
additional  forms  of  light  are  needed  to  invade  the  space 
C  and  extend  toward  the  lower  frame  line,  thus  mak- 
ing a  very  irregular  shape  of  the  dress.  A  sash  has 
given  this  necessary  mass  of  light.  Intentionally  we 
change  the  floor  line,  whose  cold  indifference  to  the 
child  is  destructive  to  the  picture's  life.  We  cast  upon 
it  a  shadow,  thus  creating  depth  of  space,  and  we  in- 
crease this  depth  by  adding  a  sharp  touch  of  light 
accent  and  a  softly  graded  light  in  the  background. 
By  this  treatment  the  spaces  that  in  Fig.  114  were 
monotonous  and  self-centring  have  been  broken  into, 
made  irregular,  and  are  now  so  controlled  that  by  a 
circular  movement  our  eye  is  led  through  the  picture 
to  the  main  interest,  namely,  the  hand  holding  the 
apple  and  the  eager  face.  But  to  keep  the  interest 

there   we    were   forced  to  carry  light  above  the  hat. 

91 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

One  principle  helps  another,  logic  and  beauty  advance 
together. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  white  sash,  the  white 
spot  in  the  hat,  and  the  white  on  the  floor  line,  also 
the  shadow  extending  from  the  feet  back  into  the  pic- 
ture, have  all  been  made,  not  photographed;  they  are 
the  outcome  of  photographic  processes,  convenient 
and  practical. 

Though  the  reason  for  each  change  in  this  picture's 
development  as  set  forth  in  the  text  may  be  compre- 
hended, the  art  aspirant  will  find  his  problem  in  origi- 
nal work  somewhat  puzzling.  As  an  encouragement 
to  him  it  may  be  stated  that  art  has  a  scientific  basis 
and  that  with  the  aid  of  principles  we  learn  through 
much  practice  to  reason  out  the  problems.  But  even 
more  valuable  than  reasoning  is  the  development  of 
feeling  that  results  from  constant  practice  and  that 
instinctively  points  out  the  defects  and  their  remedy. 
In  lifting  the  attention  to  this  child's  face  we  follow  an 
impulse  to  make  a  light  spot  in  the  upper  rim  of  the 
hat.  We  "feel"  the  need  of  that  spot;  later  we  "rea- 
son" that  it  may  be  developed  into  an  appropriate 
hat  embellishment.  The  inclination  of  beginners  in 
art  is  rather  to  pursue  the  opposite  course,  to  give  way 
to  their  fancy  in  elaborate  laces,  feathers,  or  trimmings, 
in  an  effort  to  add  to  the  reality  of  things  represented, 
and  they  fail  to  see  the  abstract  value  of  the  spotting. 

92 


FIG.  69 


LINES 

Thus  they  frequently  add  to  the  confusion  and  the 
pictorial  result  is  not  attained. 

It  may  be  said  as  an  encouragement  to  those  who 
are  making  their  first  efforts  away  from  plain  photog- 
raphy that  almost  any  modification  on  the  background 
of  a  "good  straight"  photograph  will  prove  bene- 
ficial. Comparing  Fig.  50  with  Fig.  69,  we  find  that 
the  light  mass  introduced  in  the  latter  takes  from  the 
figure,  as  shown  in  Fig.  50,  the  appearance  of  being 
pasted  on  a  surface,  a  feature  so  inseparable  from 
plain  photography.  In  Fig.  69  something  is  taking 
place  in  the  background.  The  broken  tones  create 
a  movement,  a  certain  amount  of  atmospheric  effect 
that  extends  throughout  the  space  enveloping  the  head. 
It  is  noticeable  that  the  upper  portion  is  alive,  the  eyes, 
the  features  are  mobile,  while  the  lower  part  of  the 
figure,  flanked  by  the  even  dense  background,  is  inert 
in  comparison.  By  attempting  modifications  and 
observing  the  result  we  gain  some  art  knowledge  in- 
tuitively. In  this  case  we  object  to  the  direction  of 
the  lines  in  the  background.  Aided  by  a  line  of  the  cuirass 
and  arm,  they  make  an  X,  that,  according  to  illustration 
43,  is  too  geometric.  The  clash  of  lines  against  the  figure 
is  also  painful  and  their  point  of  intersection  centres 
the  interest  below  the  collar  instead  of  upon  the  face. 
Turning  to  Van  Dyck's  masterpiece,  Fig.  51,  we  see 

to  what  height  of  expression  the  fertile  mind  of  a  gifted 

95 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


man  may  reach.  From  the  standpoint  of  arrangement 
for  beauty  our  examination  of  this  reproduction  shows 
us  how  carefully  the  figure  itself  has  been  studied. 
Its  lines  yield  abundantly  the  rhythms,  the  harmonious 
flow  expressive  of  the  lovable  nature  of  the  artist. 


FIG.  70 

The  background  re-enforces  and  strengthens  certain 
effective  lines  of  the  figure,  as  for  instance,  where  the 
projecting  hand  is  touched  by  a  line  that  makes  a 

restful  termination  for  it  in  the  frame's  upright,   see 

96 


LINES 

line  A,  Fig.  70.  Line  C  "foils"  this,  above  the  hand; 
B  relieves  the  two  and  quiets  the  obtrusiveness  of 
the  "royal  staff"  by  sending  a  movement  upward  to 
the  top  frame;  D  contributes  to  the  dignity  of  the 
figure.  Many  are  the  modifications  that  have  been 
made,  each  having  its  purpose  and  each  realizing  an 
expression  of  the  artist's  thought.  How  we  enjoy  the 
workmanship,  the  perfection  of  the  composition,  the 
tenderness  of  expression,  the  healthy  grasp  of  nature, 
and  the  lofty  intentions  and  aspirations. 

Photographers  have  sincerely  tried  to  understand 
beauty,  but  failing  to  discover  its  relation  to  the  pic- 
torial their  efforts  have  been  misdirected.  They  have 
usually  sought  a  fine  type  of  man  or  woman,  relying 
for  their  effects  upon  the  character  of  the  one  and  the 
grace  and  loveliness  of  the  other.  The  truth  that  beauty 
is  born  of  treatment  cannot  be  grasped  at  once,  nor  is 
it  easy  to  understand  that  the  plainest  sitter  affords 
material  as  rich  for  pictorial  beauty  as  does  the  physi- 
cally perfect  face  or  form. 


97 


CHAPTER  VI 

POWER   AND    FORCE    OF   LINES 
MOVEMENT   OF   LINES 

THE  peculiar  physical  and  mental  character  of 
an  artist  is  a  determining  factor  in  his  choice 
of  direction  in  art.  Some  men  are  strongly  emotional, 
others  are  distinguished  as  intellectual.  The  emo- 
tional painter  excels  in  the  color  quality  of  his  pic- 
tures and  the  intenseness  of  his  stroke,  but  few  having 
this  temperament  are  natural  composers.  The  intel- 
lectual artist  constructs  well;  Puvis  de  Chavannes 
stands  for  this  class.  His  decorations  in  the  Boston 
Public  Library  will  surely  be  a  great  influence  in 
developing  the  art  of  our  country.  They  are  readily 
analyzed  and  reveal  a  wonderful  science,  each  line 
and  tone  being  the  result  of  deliberation  and  convey- 
ing an  expression  of  the  artist's  thought,  while  each  is 
kept  subservient  to  the  decorative  scheme  as  a  whole. 

Among  painters  of  easel  pictures,  F.  F.  Henner 
compares  favorable  with  Chavannes  in  the  intellect- 
ual field.  An  analysis  of  his  "Fabiola,"  Fig.  71,  will 

98 


FIG.  71 


POWER  AND  FORCE  OF  LINES 

help  us  to  realize  this.  By  his  mastery  the  rigid, 
almost  uncompromising  lines  of  the  geometric  oblong 
into  which  he  has  composed  his  picture  have  been 
made  to  carry  the  tender  vision  of  a  girl  of  dreams. 
Figure  72  gives  the  line  whose  strength  can  cope  best 
with  the  geometric  frame.  This  line  also  serves  the 
law  of  beauty  because  of  the  agreeable  irregularity 
produced  by  its  placing. 

Beauty  in  lines,  secured  by  the  irregular  placing 
on  the  picture  plane,  attains  a  passive  quality  appeal- 
ing to  and  satisfying  our  feeling.  To  this  is  often 
added  a  certain  mental  action,  something  that  engages 
our  reasoning  powers  as  well.  We  must  make  the 
irregular  arrangement  of  lines  a  means  of  expressing 
our  ideas  and  also  the  degree  of  our  feeling.  This 
new  element,  so  intimately  interlaced  with  "beauty 
in  lines,"  is  what  we  designate  as  "power  and  force 
of  line,"  culminating  in  "movement." 

As  in  a  monarchy  there  is  always  a  leader  in  the 
person  of  a  king  or  emperor,  in  a  republic  a  president, 
in  the  army  a  chief  officer,  as  wherever  organization 
exists  there  is  a  head  or  directing  element,  —  so  in  a 
picture  where  of  necessity  many  lines  are  used  there 
is  a  main  or  leading  line,  followed  by  a  secondary, 
then  a  third,  and  so  on.  There  never  can  be  two  lead- 
ing lines;  the  duplication  of  the  first  would  be  a  nega- 
tion, each  has  its  place  according  to  its  use.  The 

101 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  7* 


\ 


FIG.  73 


FIG.  74 


FIG.  75 


102 


POWER  AND  FORCE  OF  LINES 

relation  of  each  to  the  others  and  to  the  frame  estab- 
lishes the  weight  of  their  statement  and  the  degree  of 
their  intensity  or  force.  That  which  establishes  the 
weight  of  their  statement  is  largely  intellectual  and 
appeals  to  our  reasoning.  It  is  the  province  of  defi- 
nition and  drawing.  That  which  establishes  the  degree 
of  intensity  or  force  affects  our  emotions.  We  speak 
of  it  as  accentuation.  To  elucidate,  if  we  remove  the 
line  in  Fig.  72  and  free  it  from  all  relation  to  a  frame 
and  to  any  other  line,  —  Fig.  73,  we  are  simply  curi- 
ous to  know  why  it  is  there;  we  note  its  peculiarities, 
but  further  than  that  it  means  nothing.  In  Fig.  74 
this  same  line  placed  upon  a  picture  plane  is  to  our 
intellect  an  intention,  and  to  our  emotional  nature 
a  movement.  It  vigorously  infringes  upon  a  given 
territory  and  divides  it  into  parts:  it  is  very  decided, 
it  has  "power,"  as  we  say  in  art.  As  soon  as  we  find 
we  have  a  means  of  expressing  power,  the  natural 
deduction  is  that  if  we  were  to  make  a  second  line  equally 
powerful  on  the  picture  surface  one  would  annul  the 
other.  We  must  make  a  second  one  stronger  or  weaker 
than  the  first.  It  would  be  illogical  to  make  it  stronger, 
for  an  unbroken  picture  plane  demands  that  the  first 
line  be  the  most  forceful  one  since  the  strongest  line 
is  best  able  to  cope  with  the  sum  of  power  contained 
in  the  picture  space.  The  second  should  support  the 
first,  —  Fig.  75,  and  should  break  the  larger  of  the  two 

103 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  76 


FIG.  77 


FIG.  78 
104 


POWER  AND  FORCE  OF  LINES 

uneven  spaces  created  by  line  No.  I;  the  third  should 
make  it  its  duty  to  effect  division  of  the  larger  space 
that  now  remains,  —  Fig.  76,  but  it  should  do  more.  It 
should  be  so  placed  that  it  will  not  injure  the  other 
two  lines  by  making  them  appear  as  units.  Instead 
it  must  help  to  quiet,  to  unify  them  to  the  degree  of 
producing  harmonious  action  among  all  three  fac- 
tors. By  doing  this  it  also  establishes  the  much  coveted 
quality  of  stability.  Every  additional  line  should 
further  the  same  end. 

How  carefully  the  master  has  built  up  his  picture 
from  the  frame  inward,  how  its  "power"  has  been 
controlled  to  protect  that  delicate  face.  The  broken 
soft  lines  of  the  profile  rest  safely  in  the  network 
previously  constructed.  If  line  I  had  been  weak  and 
the  profile  had  been  emphasized  the  outcome  would 
have  been  the  loss  of  the  saint  and  the  probable  crea- 
tion of  the  peasant  type.  How  sensitively  depend- 
ent expression  is  upon  construction  may  be  realized 
when  we  study  Fig.  77.  The  face  lacks  an  element 
of  kindness  that  is  peculiar  to  the  original  and  that  is 
restored  to  our  drawing  when  line  V  is  introduced,— 
Fig.  78.  The  absence  of  this  line  serves  to  increase 
the  strength  of  the  first  three  lines  out  of  their  due 
proportion,  with  the  effect  that  the  entire  facial  char- 
acter undergoes  the  change  mentioned. 

In  dealing  with  power  as  expressed  in  lines,  it  is 

105 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

our  duty  to  consider  carefully  the  subject  before  us, 
to  analyze  the  lines  it  offers  and  choose  out  of  the  num- 
ber one  that  is  essentially  descriptive.  Then  that  so 
carefully  chosen  line  should  be  placed  on  the  picture 
surface  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  convey  to  others 
the  degree  of  forcefulness  we  feel.  In  Fig.  58  the  plain 
photograph  of  a  man  puzzles  us  when  we  try  to  dis- 
cover the  leading  line.  Every  contour  being  equally 
sharp  there  is  an  absence  of  accent;  the  usual  infinitesi- 
mal rendering  of  detail  so  destructive  to  picture  quality 
is  forced  upon  us.  Compare  it  with  Fig.  59.  Here 
the  detail  being  somewhat  suppressed  permits  us  to 
give  attention  to  the  contour.  In  Fig.  79,  line  A,  no 
longer  monotonously  crude  and  unrestrained  as  in 
Fig.  58,  is  transformed  into  the  leading  line  merely  by 
introducing  in  the  background  a  vertical  to  connect 
the  upper  frame  with  the  other  shoulder.  B  has 
a  diversion  in  line  C  and  is  thereby  made  secondary 
to  line  A.  Notice  the  effect  upon  the  personality  of  the 
sitter ;  in  Fig.  58  the  head  is  alone  in  a  meaningless 
space,  it  asserts  itself  vulgarly,  feels  posed  and  con- 
gealed. In  Fig.  59  the  figure  has  animation  and  life, 
the  face  is  full  of  interest,  the  background  is  no  longer 
a  vague  emptiness,  but  explains  itself.  It  has  become 
useful.  If  line  C  were  to  appear  above  the  other 
shoulder,  —  Fig.  80,  its  introduction  would  change  the 
facial  expression.  Under  certain  circumstances  this 

106 


POWER  AND  FORCE  OF  LINES 


107 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

change  might  prove  useful.  The  placing  of  these  lines 
is  aided  by  feeling;  their  subtle  influences  so  puzzling 
to  the  inexperienced  prove  fascinating  to  maturer 
workers. 

Turn  to  illustration  93.  What  is  the  leading  line  ? 
All  are  prominent,  each  practically  unrestrained;  if 
the  eye  becomes  engaged  with  line  B,  —  Fig.  81,  it  finds 
D  disputing  with  it,  —  the  latter  having  more  force- 
fulness.  At  the  same  time  A  is  strong  enough  to  re- 
ceive a  large  share  of  our  interest,  and  between  these 
contentions  our  feeling  dies  and  our  thought  is  dulled. 
In  Fig.  82,  B  and  D  have  been  modified  by  the  new 
line  E,  our  interest  has  been  drawn  from  the  frame 
inward,  and  is  now  engaged  with  the  figure.  This 
point  having  been  reached,  we  are  made  to  feel  a  main 
line  A.  It  is  well  chosen  as  it  points  to  the  height  of 
the  figure,  giving  a  majestic  quality  to  the  pose.  B  is 
now  an  accompaniment  to  A;  it  supports  without  dis- 
puting. Thus  controlled,  B  is  made  very  effective 
as  a  picture  element  and  expressive  of  dignified  move- 
ment in  the  figure.  In  this  way  the  warring  interests 
are  brought  into  some  harmony,  —  Fig.  94. 

Fig.  1  and  Fig.  83,  when  compared,  will  show 
the  great  difference  between  the  results  of  plain  photog- 
raphy with  its  artificial  background  and  of  camera  work 
pictorially  treated  by  the  correct  use  of  lines.  In  Fig.  1 
the  woman  has  evidently  retreated  to  the  wall  and  is  at  a 

108 


POWER  AND  FORCE  OF  LINES 

o 


109 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

standstill  mentally  and  physically;  the  background  pro- 
trudes itself  at  her  expense.  The  same  figure,  abso- 
lutely unchanged,  is  transformed  into  a  refined  picture 
in  Fig.  83.  The  woman  has  character.  We  do  not 
question  her  action,  pose  or  surroundings;  she  is  a 
presence,  intimate  and  yet  reserved.  There  is  a  sug- 
gestion of  plentiful  space,  of  air  and  light.  The  back- 
ground in  no  way  obtrudes  itself,  it  is  sympathetic, 
supporting  her  by  its  lines,  playing  with  the  tones  of 
her  figure.  What  chiefly  characterizes  this  picture  above 
its  "plain"  ancestor  is  the  embodiment  of  "movement," 
the  selection  of  lines  for  "power."  In  the  pen  sketch, 
—  Fig.  84,  line  A  is  too  despotic,  B  as  accented  by 
contrasting  light  and  shade,  is  wooden  and  stolid.  To- 
gether with  D  (also  a  too  rigid  line)  it  makes  a  struc- 
ture more  fitted  to  uphold  an  inert  concrete  mass  than 
the  frail  delicate  form  of  the  human  being.  Line  C 
is  accented  in  a  manner  that  makes  it  impossible  for 
our  attention  to  rest  with  the  head.  The  ornamental 
curves  marked  G  have  no  influence  for  good  upon  the 
lines  of  the  figure,  nor  is  there  any  cohesion  between  the 
frame  and  the  inner  line-happenings. 

A  very  different  problem  presents  itself  for  analysis 
in  Fig.  85.  Here  all  is  so  managed  that  our  eye,  noting 
the  rich  sweep  of  the  gown,  is  carried  by  "movement," 
steadily  and  pleasantly  to  the  face.  Line  B  does  not 
dominate  but  is  here  subordinated,  giving  to  line  L  the 

110 


FIG.  83 


POWER  AND  FORCE  OF  LINES 


x*3> 


113 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

leading  interest.  There  is  such  difference  of  accentua- 
tion between  L  and  A  that  they  move  harmoniously 
upward.  The  strong  accent  on  the  outline  of  the 
well-lighted  sleeve  is  a  powerful  factor  in  causing  a 
due  subordination  of  B,  L,  and  A,  while  this  line  of  the 
sleeve,  in  order  to  be  under  control,  is  approached,  but 
not  touched,  by  line  P.  P  and  J  also  extend  toward 
A,  and  restrict  its  power  by  diversion.  The  means 
of  effectually  subduing  line  B  is  found  in  F  and  E, 
two  verticals  drawing  the  overcharged  interest  of  the 
figure  toward  the  left  and  upward.  The  frame- 
line  M  has  come  into  the  thorough  planning  of  this 
structure,  for  it  foils  and  quiets  the  long  lines  E  and  F. 
C  is  introduced  to  give  the  figure  height,  K  and  D  to 
add  to  the  movement. 

Compared  with  the  foregoing  elaborate  composition, 
Fig.  86  is  easily  solved.  The  problem  presented  is 
frequently  tried  by  camera  workers  who,  not  under- 
standing the  power  and  force  of  lines,  seek  force  by 
the  single  factor  of  extreme  contrasting  tones.  In  this 
picture  there  are  practically  no  lines  that  have  any 
power  when  compared  with  the  white  mass  forming 
the  face,  beard,  etc.  Nothing  prepares  us  for  this  ex- 
hibition of  force,  yet  forcefulness  is  not  attained.  That 
quality  comes  by  restraining  the  pictorial  elements,  - 
the  light  masses,  dark  masses  and  lines,  —  and  causing 
them  to  act  in  unison.  Compare  it  with  the  charming 

114 


Fie.  86 


FIG.  87 


POWER  AND  FORCE  OF  LINES 


way  in  which  Fig.  87  has  led  up  to  the  climax.  In  Fig. 
86  our  greatest  energy  is  expended  in  the  oval  outline 
of  the  beard,  hair,  forehead,  cheek.  So  emphasized  is 
this,  owing  to  the  lack  of  a  check  to  stop  the  rotating 


FIG.  88 

action  of  the  eyes,  that  the  features  sink  into  obscurity. 
In  Fig.  87  the  line  of  the  shoulder  (see  line  A,  in  Fig.  88) 
has  firmness  and  leads  toward  the  face.  The  line  made 
by  the  forehead  and  hat  is  the  most  forceful  and  is  well 
chosen  as  it  draws  the  attention  upward,  throwing  the 

110 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

emphasis  near  the  eye  socket,  round  which  the  interest 
is  made  to  circle  by  rhythmic  movement.  Line  C  pre- 
vents B  from  becoming  too  powerful  and  pressing  too 
heavily  and  sharply  upon  the  face.  D  further  lifts  the 
interest  upward  into  a  space  that  must  be  vitalized  if 
it  is  not  to  become  a  dead  member  in  the  picture  con- 
struction. Left  blank  or  weak,  the  upper  and  dark 
portions  would  assume  such  prominence  that  character- 
rendering  in  the  face  could  end  only  in  caricature. 
Observe  how  line  D  leads  off  from  C  with  some  firm- 
ness, then  subsides  into  a  gentle  curving  movement  that 
draws  the  eye  around  and  back  to  the  face,  accomplish- 
ing two  offices,  first,  making  vital,  luminous,  and  in- 
telligible the  upper  part  of  the  picture,  second,  bringing 
the  interest  back  to  its  centre.  After  leaving  line  D 
the  eye  considers  the  form  of  the  features  arid  rests 
with  that  section  holding  the  mass  of  light.  Other 
elements  of  diversion  are  found  in  the  tones  of  the 
beard  and  the  deflections  in  the  background  that  keep 
the  interest  from  being  overcharged. 


120 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE    CHARACTER   AND    NATURE   OF   LINES 

TN  order  to  understand  more  fully  power  and  force 
**  in  lines  when  placed  on  a  picture  plane,  we  will 
analyze  the  "nature  of  lines." 

When  we  have  a  dot,  we  have  a  perfectly  stationary 
effect. 

When  the  dot  is  extended  into  line,  we  have  "  move- 
ment." 

Movement  is  an  element  having  both  direction  and 
a  degree  of  rapidity. 

Its  direction  explains  itself. 

Its  rapidity  will  increase  in  direct  ratio  to  its  length 
from  the  dot  forming  the  starting-point. 


This  long  line  conveys  the  sense  of  rapidity.  If  we 
wish  to  make  it  slower  we  can  make  it  shorter,  because 
the  momentum  gained  is  not  so  great. 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

A  second  method  of  making  it  slower  is  to  place 
another  line  parallel  to  it. 


The  effort  of  the  mind  to  read  two  lines  at  once 
causes  slower  reading  than  when  the  eye  deals  with 
only  one  line.  If  the  distance  between  the  two  is  in- 
creased, the  mind  has  greater  difficulty  in  reading  them 
simultaneously,  —  resulting  in  their  greater  slowness. 


If  we  make  one  broad  line  of  the  two,  the  effect 
is  a  similar  degree  of  slowness. 


A  fast  line  can  be  made  slow  by  placing  an  oppo- 
sition on  it. 


CHARACTER  AND  NATURE  OF  LINES 


This  opposing  line  at  I  checks  the  impetus  gained 
from  the  starting-point  Y.  The  mind's  reading  is 
arrested  at  X,  —  the  junction  of  the  long  line  with 
line  I.  From  here  it  must  start  anew,  and  the  impetus 
therefore  is  not  so  great  as  if  it  had  been  unchecked 
from  the  point  Y.* 

By  placing  more  oppositions  on  a  fast  line,  we  may 
make  it  as  slow  as  we  desire. 


By  placing  a  line  at  a  slant,  not  at  right  angles  we 


retard  the  long  line  more  gently,  as  there  is  no  direct 
opposition.  Instead  there  is  a  yielding  quality,  a 
slight  diversion,  having  the  effect  of  kindliness. 

Its  variations  will  produce  the  sense  of  quiet,  still- 
ness, hush.  As  employed  by  the  Egyptians,  it  sug- 
gests the  soul  leaving  the  body. 

*  For  fuller  exposition  of  this  principle,  see  article  by  Endell,  in  Dekorative 
Kunst,  Vol.  II,  pages  119  to  125. 

123 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

Another  method  of  controlling  the  "fastness"   of 
the  line  is  to  threaten  a  check,  thus: 


The  mind  while  reading  line  I  is  diverted  by  line 
II,  —  a  vertical  striving  from  below  toward  the  hori- 
zontal and  threatening  opposition. 

A  circular  line  is  always  slower  than  a  straight  one, 
because  it  is  constantly  changing  its  direction  and  is 
therefore  more  difficult  to  read.  Difficult  reading  is 
also  slow  reading.  The  complete  circle  does  not  gain 
momentum. 


124 


CHARACTER  AND  NATURE  OF  LINES 


If  we  apply  these  observations  to  the  shapes  of 
frames,  the  square,  made  of  four  equal  lines,  all 
having  the  same  "swiftness"  and  checking  one  another 
alike,  gives  the  effect  of  something  stationary,  fixed. 


The  four  lines  have  neutralized  one  another,  have  cre- 
ated a  certain  monotony  for  themselves,  and  are  of  no 
interest  to  us  except  that  they  are  useful  in  forming  a 
space,  and  because  of  their  neutral  quality  they  direct 
all  attention  into  the  space  they  form.  A  picture  in 
such  a  frame  has  the  advantage  of  effecting  a  com- 
plete concentration  upon  itself. 

125 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


The  upright  rectangle  has  verticals  that  are  faster, 
that  have  more  impetus  and  are  more  powerful  than 
its  horizontals.  The  character  of  this  frame  is  such  that 
it  strives  upward,  —  at  least  has  an  upward  intention. 

' When    we    compare    the 

square  with  the  upright  rect- 
angle, we  notice  that  the 
square  suggests  nothing  high, 
vast,  or  extended,  but  is  stolid 
and  self-contained. 

The  upright  rectangle,  by 
the  nature  of  its  shape,  will 
lend  itself  to  the  expression 
of  pride,  and  in  some  of  its 
forms  it  assumes  religious 
significance.  When  combined 
with  certain  curves  it  be- 
comes expressive  of  the  spirit- 
ual —  in  the  Gothic  window,  for  example. 

In  the  horizontal  rectangle  the  greater  rapidity  is 
in  the  horizontal  lines.  The  frame  therefore  has  a 
running  character,  something  tending  toward  continu- 
ance. It  is  "spreading,"  and  suitable  for  landscape 
where  the  horizon  is  to  be  much  used,  also  where  the 
flat  foreground  is  of  special  interest,  because  the  frame- 
shape  suggests  width  and  expanding  powers.  In 
figure  work  it  would  suggest  a  story-telling  picture. 

126 


128 


CHARACTER  AND  NATURE  OF  LINES 

E.  A.  Abbey  employed  several  of  these  long  horizontal 
frame-shapes  in  his  rendering  of  the  story  of  Sir  Gala- 
had, in  the  Boston  Library. 


Of  the  circle  it  may  be  said  as  of  the  square,  that 
it  is  not  capable  of  expansion.  It  is  well  adapted  to 
concentrate  interest  on  whatever  is  placed  within  its 
limit. 

Where  the  oblong  is  crowned  by  a  portion  of  the 
circle,  we  find  a  gentleness  together  with  loftiness, 
that  at  once  suggests  a  religious  picture. 

The  three  panels  grouped  on  the  opposite  page 
form  a  combination  in  which  we  have  a  perfect  con- 
dition for  the  embodiment  of  religious  thought. 

The  shape  below  them  suggests  more  worldliness, 
more  substance.  The  fast  and  the  slow  are  so  combined 
that  we  think  of  something  cheerful  and  complacent  in 
the  space. 

If  lines  have  meaning  when  quite  isolated,  do  we 

not  now  see  that  their  combination  in  a  frame  conveys 

129 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  89. 

a  more  definite  meaning  ?  When  we  place  them  on  a 
picture-surface  we  have  a  language  as  complete  as  any 
that  is  uttered  in  speech  or  music.  Let  it  be  our  care 
to  so  control  this  language  that  it  will  utter  our  thought 
with  exactness,  and  we  must  be  equally  watchful  lest 
it  express  what  we  do  not  wish. 

The  lines  in  the  Henner  head  are  all  considered 
with  reference  to  their  fastness  and  slowness.  Their 
power  in  the  picture  space  is  as  much  due  to  their 
measure  of  velocity  as  to  their  manner  of  breaking  up 

130 


CHARACTER  AND  NATURE  OF  LINES 

that  surface.  The  former  assists  the  latter.  In  the 
accompanying  sketch,  Fig.  89,  1  is  the  longest 
straight  line  on  the  picture  surface,  it  therefore  is 
the  fastest  and  has  the  greatest  force;  2  is  slower, 
therefore  well  calculated  to  be  an  assistant  to  1 ;  3  is 
slower  than  2,  because  of  its  curved  character.  By 
its  slowness  and  its  position  it  is  a  check  to  the  up- 
ward force  of  1.  Its  expression  is  kind,  yielding,  bind- 
ing the  first  lines  with  the  frame.  4,  the  constantly 
interrupted  line  of  the  face,  is  slowest,  and  therefore 
well  calculated  as  a  res  ting-point  for  our  eyes. 

Our  study  of  the  nature  of  lines  has  increased  our 
respect  for  their  value.  We  can  now  consider  combina- 
tions that  produce  "quality."  For  instance,  it  would 
be  interesting  to  know  what  constitutes  a  graceful  line, 
what  is  the  "line  of  beauty." 

"Grace"  is  a  partly  impetuous  movement  terminat- 
ing with  that  which  is  affectionate,  caressing.  In  the 
following  cut  we  find  the  long  line  impetuous.  Associ- 


ating it  with  the  section  of  a  circle,  a  combination  results 
that  produces  the  desired  quality. 

131 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

It  is  the  curve  at  x  that  gives  the  affectionate,  grace- 
ful ending. 

This  line  of  beauty  occurs  everywhere  in  nature 
and  is  natural  to  art  in  its  various  branches. 

We  see  it  in  the  golden  rod,  in  reeds  and  weeds,  in 
the  swan's  neck,  in  the  limbs  of  trees.  The  wave  is 
made  up  of  its  shapes. 

In  the  human  form  we  find  it  in  most  charming 
variation,  in  woman's  arm  for  instance,  or  in  man's 
arm  or  hand,  or  in  any  part  of  the  body  when  analyzed 
for  line  quality. 

When  attempting  the  portraits  of  women  we  should 
look  for  the  lines  of  grace  and  beauty  in  dress  and  in 
the  form  revealed  through  dress. 

In  illustration  90  trivial  lines  have  everywhere  been 
omitted  or  subdued:  the  essential  form-rendering, 
movement-bearing  lines  dominate  and  are  made  spirit- 
ual through  grace  and  beauty. 

Applying  the  theory  of  velocity  to  these  contours,  we 
begin  to  understand  why  this  portrait  is  strongly  emo- 
tional. 

The  lines  of  Fig.  91  owing  to  their  selection  and 
placing  have  beauty  and  express  strong  feeling;  their 
tempo  is  wonderfully  controlled  and  they  are  individ- 
ually and  intrinsically  beautiful  because  of  their  grace. 
Lines  A,  B,  C  in  Fig.  91  (see  drawing  92)  should  re- 
ceive our  special  study.  They  supply  the  impetus  for 

132 


FIG.  90 


CHARACTER  AND  NATURE  OF  LINES 


FIG.  92 

the  upward  movement  that  is  so  pronounced  in  this 
picture.  In  them  lies  spirit,  mentality,  energy,  aes- 
thetic truth.  Without  them  the  facial  expression  could 
not  be  rendered  so  satisfactorily. 

135 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

Illustrations  93,  94,  95,  and  96,  studied  for  their 
grade  of  velocity  in  lines,  will  be  helpful.  In  the  plain 
photograph  93  the  frame  lines  are  not  affected  by  any- 
thing in  the  picture,  their  indifference  is  absolute. 
They  are  rapid,  overpowering  and  self-assertive.  Lines 
F  and  G  in  the  drawing  97  are  feeble  when  com- 
pared with  the  frame  lines,  yet  in  the  figure  they  have 
most  velocity.  Unbalanced,  unchecked,  they  hurriedly 
ascend  the  triangular  form  of  the  skirt.  Our  eye  reads 
the  tiresome  effect  instantly,  finds  no  further  resources, 
and  we  have  lost  our  interest  in  the  production.  In 
Fig.  94  the  introduction  of  D  has  changed  the  tempo 
of  H,  causing  it  to  vary  from  L.  (Refer  always  to  Fig. 
97  for  designation  of  lines.)  D,  by  its  nearness,  has 
moderated  the  speed  of  K  and  lessened  the  eagerness 
of  G.  Still  more  modifications  come  into  the  picture 
in  the  stage  of  development  found  in  Fig.  95,  where  the 
folds  marked  A,  B,  C  have  all  been  made  into  useful 
lines,  serving  to  balance  D  and  to  modify  F  and  G. 
Emphasis  laid  upon  these  folds  also  proves  that  in 
photography  we  may  strengthen  lines  that  are  not 
marginal  quite  as  well  as  Gandara  has  done  in  his  oil 
painting,  —  Fig.  91.  The  finished  picture,  —  96,  shows 
many  more  modifications,  such  as  the  line  E,  that  affects 
by  its  "checking"  propensities  all  the  uprights,  quiet- 
ing them.  We  also  find  the  lines  A,  B,  C  strengthened 
by  the  emphasis  of  white.  Just  how  emotion  has  crept 

136 


FIG.  93 


FIG.  94 


FIG.  95 


FIG.  96 


CHARACTER  AND  NATURE  OF  LINES 
H 


FIG.  97 

in  and  permeated  Fig.  96  it  is  not  possible  to  put  into 
words,  but  we  have  followed  the  process  by  stages. 
The  practice  of  art  will  bring  the  light.  This  analysis 
does  not,  however,  exhaust  the  structural  secrets  of 
Fig.  96.  We  still  have  the  matter  of  " stability"  to  con- 
sider. 


143 


CHAPTER  VIII 

STABILITY 

T  TNSCHOOLED  in  the  laws  that  make  pictorial 
^-^  art,  the  photographer  has  tried  to  emulate  the 
sculptor.  Forgetful  that  all  his  effects  are  confined  to 
the  surface  of  paper,  he  has  tried  to  make  a  round 
thing  on  this  paper,  he  has  wanted  his  representation 
to  "  stand  out,"  as  he  is  accustomed  to  express  it.  Not 
photography  but  sculpture  in  high  relief  is  adapted  to 
such  forceful  methods.  In  photography  and  painting 
the  paper  or  canvas  is  felt  through  the  print  or  painting 
and  is  a  part  of  the  picture,  just  as  in  a  Gobelin  the 
design  is  woven*  into  the  fabric  of  the  canvas.  A  per- 
son represented  should  not  "stand  out"  but  should 
"stay  in"  the  space.  This  does  not  mean  that  the 
figure  is  to  seem  shut  into  an  enclosure,  fenced  about, 
imprisoned  with  a  perpetuated  expression,  but  some- 
thing is  meant  to  the  effect  that  the  surface,  being  the 
means  of  an  artistic  expression,  should  be  utilized  as 
one  whole  field,  every  portion  of  it  being  a  vital  part 
of  the  entire  intricate  fabric.  For  instance,  in  Figures 
57,  65,  86,  112,  or  in  any  plain  photograph,  the  central 

144 


STABILITY 

portion  or  the  place  occupied  by  the  figure  is  over- 
burdened, congested  with  material,  while  all  about  is 
a  space  saying  nothing.  The  image  is  not  fully  "  alive," 
it  is  "posed,"  conventional,  unnatural,  certainly  not 
touched  by  art.  It  reminds  us  of  the  photographs  of 
statuary  made  to  suggest  the  originals  in  museums. 
Such  photographs  aim  at  nothing  more  than  to  give 
a  scientifically  correct  idea  of  the  originals  for  us  to 
analyze,  study,  and  enjoy.  But  let  not  the  photog- 
rapher think  he  is  making  a  picture  when  he  reproduces 
such  a  statue.  It  can  never  be  a  picture  because  the 
subject  is  not  nature  but  a  work  of  art.  There  is, 
therefore,  nothing  for  the  photographer  to  "treat"; 
he  cannot  intensify  its  beauty,  he  can  only  awaken  in 
us  by  his  reproduction  a  desire  to  see  the  original  with 
its  direct  and  inexhaustible  loveliness.  His  photograph 
in  this  instance  is  only  the  reminder,  as  a  photograph 
of  a  machine  is  a  reminder  in  the  advertisements  of 
to-day.  What  should  be  done  in  such  a  case  is  to 
render  the  whole  as  clearly  as  possible,  but  that  is  not 
the  office  of  the  photographer  when  dealing  with  the 
portrayal  of  the  human  being.  Such  a  portrait  should 
not  be  a  reminder  but  a  direct  conveyer  of  enjoyment. 
The  person  must  appear  to  live  in  our  presence.  If  its 
office  were  only  to  remind  us  of  some  one,  the  portrait 
and  the  tombstone  would  be  of  like  nature,  but  they 
are,  in  truth,  of  opposite  intent.  The  person  lives  in 

145 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

the  picture  and  the  creative  nature  of  the  artist  has 
brought  this  about.  It  is  this  that  gives  to  art  its  lofty 
character;  we  speak  of  "undying  art,"  "perpetuating 
in  art."  It  is  this  that  makes  the  kings  of  Egypt  and 
Assyria,  the  gods  of  Greece  and  Rome,  the  most  living 
things  in  the  past,  while  the  pyramids  are  the  expression 
of  regret,  heavy  heart-burnings  and  perpetual  sadness 
of  a  race. 

We  should,  therefore,  distinguish  sharply  between 
the  imitative  faculty  employed  when  we  photograph 
a  statue,  and  the  creative  power  brought  into  play 
when  we  take  a  subject  from  nature  and  make  out  of 
it  a  picture. 

In  Fig.  51  the  frame,  background,  and  figure  are 
woven  together  as  in  a  Gobelin ;  their  sum  of  expression 
produces  the  masterly  portrait.  Analyzing  the  pen 
sketch,  98,  we  find  that  the  spaces  marked  1,  2,  3  are 
light,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10  are  dark,  11,  12,  13,  14,  15  are 
intermediate  tones.  All  of  these  light  and  dark  spaces 
represent  respectively  face,  hands,  linen,  cuirass,  cloth, 
hair,  rock,  sky,  and  shadow,  but  they  are  first  of  all 
spaces,  each  important.  None  can  be  omitted,  neither 
can  any  portion  be  treated  without  consideration  of 
the  part  it  is  to  play  in  the  ensemble,  for  the  expression 
of  the  face,  the  character  of  the  figure  itself,  can  be 
changed  by  such  apparently  (and  only  apparently) 
minor  features  as  make  up  the  background.  Hence 

146 


STABILITY 


FIG.  98 

when  the  photographer  tries  to  obtain  beauty  by  utiliz- 
ing a  sculpturesque  attitude,  tries  to  convey  the  sense 
of  reality  by  attempting  to  make  the  figure  free  from 
all  influences  such  as  background  and  frame,  tries  to 
make  it  "stand  out"  as  in  Fig.  50,  he  fails  in  his  effort 
toward  art. 

The  geometric  lines  bounding  a  representation  and 
forming  its  frame  are  the  "staying"  factors  of  the  pic- 
ture. Any  figure  within  their  limit  will  have  stability 
when  its  lines  and  the  lines  of  the  background  are  so 

147 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  99 


FIG.  100 


FIG.  101 


FIG.  102 


148 


STABILITY 

controlled  with  relation  to  the  frame  that  they  affect 
vitally  the  whole  picture  surface.  We  may  compare 
a  picture  to  a  spider's  web,  — Fig.  99.  The  latter  is  con- 
structed to  sustain  the  weight  of  the  spider,  and  in  order 
to  be  equal  to  its  task  its  delicate  threads  reach  out  to 
various  points  for  support.  How  necessary  these 
points  of  attachments  are.  In  Fig.  100  we  have  the 
frame  of  the  picture  with  a  spot  located  centrally. 
This  spot  has  the  shape  of  a  head  and  a  vignetted  bust. 
It  suggests  weight  made  gross  by  its  position  and  the 
lack  of  supporting  lines.  A  weight  unsustained  is  in- 
congruous ;  the  spot  must  throw  out  lines  for  its  support. 
Thus  lines  in  pictorial  representation  exist  not  only  for 
beauty  but  quite  as  much  for  use. 

The  deficiencies  of  all  vignetted  plain  photographs 
are  the  same  as  those  of  Fig.  100,  but  even  in  this  kind 
of  pictorial  representation  the  relation  of  frame,  back- 
ground, and  figure  must  be  maintained.  Suppose  the 
frame  and  the  object  in  the  centre  of  Fig.  100  to  be 
made  of  wood;  the  central  mass  having  no  support 
would  fall.  To  prevent  this  it  would  be  necessary  to 
tie  it  to  the  upper  frame  with  one  or  more  supports  — 
Figures  101,  102.  We  thus  have  the  first  "staying-in" 
element.  We  know,  however,  that  it  would  still  be 
likely  to  swing  in  and  out, — Fig.  103,  whereas  it 
should  be  absolutely  firm.  If  we  place  pieces  of  wood 

below,  the  condition  is  somewhat  ameliorated,  —  Fig. 

149 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  103 


FIG.  104 


FIG.  105 


150 


STABILITY 

104,  but  to  convey  the  impression  that  the  object  is 
perfectly  secured,  it  should  also  be  attached  above  or 
on  the  side  as  in  Fig.  105,  where  the  centre  is  made  to 
stay  in  the  frame  firmly.  In  all  of  the  masterly  vig- 
netted portraits  painted  by  Franz  von  Lenbach,  the 
lines  of  the  figure  reach  out  toward  the  frame,  they  sus- 
tain the  figure.  The  direct  downward  lines  found  in 
photo-vignettes  are  not  seen  in  his  work. 

Figure  106  is  also  deficient  in  stability.  The  figure  is 
not  held  in  the  frame  nor  made  to  rest  upon  the  surface. 
We  have  the  feeling  that  the  woman  is  swaying  in  the 
effort  to  balance  herself  upon  the  lower  edge,  as  sug- 
gested in  Figures  107  and  108.  Useless  space  on  either 
side  adds  to  the  instability.  By  cutting  off  this  un- 
necessary width  we  receive  a  greater  sense  of  firmness, 
as  we  should  feel  safer  in  looking  from  an  upper  window 
if  we  knew  it  was  narrow  enough  to  enable  us  quickly 
to  make  use  of  the  jambs  in  case  we  began  to  fall.  Too 
much  empty  space  would  be  a  source  of  discomfort  to 
us;  the  same  is  true  of  the  picture. 

In  this  sense  Fig.  50  is  without  stability.  The  draw- 
ing 98  shows  how  the  background  lines  in  the  original 
painting  51  attach  themselves  to  the  figure  and  the 
frame  at  many  points,  and  prove  their  value  in  secur- 
ing the  quality  under  discussion. 

Applying    this    principle    to    our    photographs,    we 
readily  perceive  that  the  figure  in  65  suffers  from  too 

151 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


FIG.  107 


FIG.  108 


152 


STABILITY 

much  space  or  from  want  of  background  lines  to  con- 
nect it  with  its  geometric  enclosure.  In  Fig.  66  the 
lost  feeling  and  the  insecurity  of  Fig.  65  have  given 
way  to  stability.  The  woman  seems  to  belong  where 
she  stands.  The  steps  by  which  this  is  accomplished 
are  shown  in  the  following  pen  drawings.  In  Fig. 
109  a  vertical  from  the  shoulder  to  the  upper  frame 
line  brings  about  some  feeling  of  firmness;  in  Fig.  110 
a  low,  oblique  line  adds  to  the  security.  The  picture 
plan  is  realized  in  Fig.  Ill,  where  the  oblique  line  is 
extended  to  the  opposite  frame,  effecting  the  necessary 
stability  in  the  picture. 

A  more  complex  problem  confronts  us  in  Fig.  112 
where  in  spite  of  the  empty  wall  space  we  feel  that  the 
girl  has  not  room  enough  in  which  to  make  her  courtesy ; 
there  is  danger  that  she  may  fall  face  forward  out  of 
the  frame.  In  solving  this  problem  a  composer's  best 
ability  is  called  into  play.  (See  frontispiece,  Fig.  113.) 
That  the  figure  might  "keep  its  place"  foreground  was 
added  and  the  space  increased  on  either  side  and  above. 
Into  this  area  a  line  was  thrust  playing  from  the  feet  back 
into  the  picture  and  to  the  upper  frame.  On  the  same 
side  of  the  figure  a  line  giving  the  effect  of  a  curtain 
connects  the  shoulder  with  the  upper  frame.  Less  dis- 
tinct lines  emerge  in  the  background  from  the  skirt  and 
play  upward  and  outward  to  the  right.  The  combined 
effect  is  to  hold  the  figure  in  its  place  satisfactorily. 

153 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 


154 


FIG. 


STABILITY 

Figures  90  and  91  are  examples  of  stability  attained 
without  the  slightest  aid  of  background  accessories.  The 
originals  are  both  oil  paintings.  The  background  so 
black  in  Fig.  91  and  so  incapable  of  atmospheric  dif- 
fusion, has  in  the  original  a  soft,  transparent  quality. 
The  women  in  both  paintings  appear  with  a  largeness  of 
impression  attained  in  the  masterpieces  of  space-filling. 
In  Fig.  90  wre  notice  that  the  drapery  touches  the  frame 
line  only  at  the  bottom,  but  that  the  lines  of  the  figure 
invade  and  fill  each  vital  section  of  the  picture  area,  crea- 
ting in  the  mass  of  light  a  dominating  note  that  perfectly 
balances  and  rules  the  background.  When  we  study 
the  frame  closely  we  perceive  subtle  influences  extend- 
ing to  it  from  the  figure.  The  elbow  of  the  arm  resting 
on  the  hip  approaches  the  frame  with  a  soft  contour; 
the  gentle  effect  upon  the  interrelation  of  these  lines  is 
like  the  instant  drop  of  well-sustained  orchestral  music 
to  a  piano  softness.  The  upper  frame  is  rendered 
enjoyable  by  that  other  influence  waving  through  the 
lines  of  the  figure,  forming  the  sleeves,  shoulders,  and 
differently  accented  lines  of  the  head.  Played  between 
them  is  the  face,  made  radiant  in  light  and  tender 
in  expression  by  the  music  of  the  varied  cadences 
of  line.  The  firmest  accent  in  the  picture,  the  face, 
has  between  it  and  the  geometric  horizontal  above  it 
the  softness  of  modulated  tone.  The  left  frame  with 

its    cutting   downward   movement   is   opposed   by   an 

157 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

impetuous  accent,  a  culmination,  vitalizing  the  whole 
composition.  It  matters  not  what  the  lines  are  made 
to  define,  --whether  sleeve,  dress,  folds,  hair,  face,  it 
is  rather  what  they  sing,  what  light  they  kindle 
within  us. 

In  Fig.  91  the  frame  is  touched  at  three  points  and 
approached  with  studied  purpose  at  others.  A  lesson 
may  be  derived  from  a  simple  experiment  that  all  can 
make  who  desire  to  know  upon  what  stability  depends. 
By  taking  a  piece  of  black  paper  and  covering  a  section 
of  either  arm  in  Fig.  90,  or  obliterating  the  fan  in  Fig. 
91,  we  discover  an  absence  of  stability.  Both  figures 
sway,  the  perfection  of  their  arrangement  has  been 
disturbed  and  they  become  irresponsible. 

The  application  of  the  principle  of  stability  has 
produced  in  Fig.  96  a  quality  not  attained  in  plain 
photography,  where  the  human  figure  seems  as  unsub- 
stantial as  the  paper  upon  which  it  is  printed.  Arrange- 
ment has  brought  this  result,  —  that  the  figure  in  print 
96  seems  to  have  the  weight  possessed  by  the  living 
being.  It  is  healthy  and  all  the  more  beautiful  and 
true  for  that  quality.  The  figure  in  the  pictorially 
treated  photograph  83  also  appears  pleasingly  substan- 
tial, though  that  quality  is  not  identified  with  Fig.  1. 
Notice  how  lines  have  been  used  in  Fig.  83  to  create 
an  impression  of  space,  a  suggestion  of  a  world  out- 
side. The  woman  is  not  caged  in  as  in  Fig.  1,  or 

158 


STABILITY 

jostled  by  a  wall,  is  not  self-conscious  or  "making  her 
last  stand." 

The  logical  study  of  the  principle  of  stability  forces 
from  us  again  the  conclusion  that  a  background  is  a 
creation,  not  a  procurable  commodity. 


159 


CHAPTER  IX 

BACKGROUNDS 

PROFESSIONAL  photographers  may  be  dis- 
couraged when  confronted  with  the  necessity  of 
creating  backgrounds  on  the  negative  instead  of  buy- 
ing them  as  hitherto  in  the  form  of  screens  to  be  placed 
behind  the  sitter.  There  is  no  occasion  for  alarm, 
however.  The  principles  of  art  as  compiled  in  a  text- 
book may  seem  formidable,  but  the  usual  problems  of 
the  studio  are  not  often  complex  and  after  a  little  prac- 
tice it  is  therefore  easy  in  photographic  portrait  work 
to  make  the  simple  changes  that  give  the  greater  satis- 
faction. 

The  average  person  rejects  the  scenic  background; 
practically  all  people  of  good  taste  decline  to  have 
themselves  pictured  with  too  great  realism.  A  small 
photo-likeness  receives  preference  over  a  larger  one, 
because  in  the  smaller  work  the  physical  presence  is 
less  obtrusive  and  the  picture  as  a  whole  is  capable  of 
more  technical  refinement.  Members  of  the  profession 
have  tried  to  lessen  the  people's  grievance  by  trimming 
the  prints  only  to  find  a  second  evil  confronting  them, 
-  the  figure  crowded  and  unduly  cramped.  The  plain 

160 


BACKGROUNDS 

black  or  light  background  with  its  dry  dead  tone  is 
proving  itself  an  affliction.  The  over-ornamented  chair, 
stucco  relief -work,  simple  or  strongly  designed  draperies, 
are  discovered  to  be  obstacles  because  they  enter  into 
competition  with  the  head  or  figure  in  seeking  our 
attention.  In  studio  language,  we  refer  to  them  as 
"loud"  backgrounds,  and  in  the  use  of  the  term  we  give 
evidence  of  their  harmful  nature,  for  a  background 
should  recede,  produce  quiet,  and  allow  prominence  to 
a  main  interest. 

No  one  will  now  question  the  statement  that  in 
Fig.  1  the  assertive,  restless,  worrying  forms  of  the 
rococo  ornament  are  "noisy,"  without  sense  or  value, 
and  in  every  conceivable  way  destructive  to  the  figure. 
There  is  absolutely  no  portrait  or  picture  quality.  The 
photographer  doubtless  reasoned  thus:  This  woman 
has  an  elaborate  gown  of  very  rich  material.  I  must 
seek  to  make  her  unusual  and  my  only  means  of  doing 
so  is  to  employ  one  of  a  number  of  backgrounds  that 
I  have  in  stock.  The  one  with  the  rococo  ornament 
that  I  produce  on  special  occasions  like  this  I  will  em- 
ploy again.  It  is  the  height  of  my  powers  of  expression, 
in  fact  the  background  is  my  expression.  The  woman 
shall  stand  before  it  as  a  hundred  others  have  done,  the 
only  difference  will  be  in  her  pose  and  possibly  in  the 
angle  of  light  under  the  skylight. 

The  barrenness  of  such  thought  is  fully  disclosed. 

161 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

The  real  artist  would  have  tried  to  reveal  the  woman's 
character,  to  make  her  what  he  conceived  her  to  be, 
while  this  photographer  had  no  conception  of  her;  he 
allowed  his  background  to  testify  to  his  lack  of  re- 
sources. Only  a  background  fully  thought  out  can 
make  the  true  portrait;  any  other  method  will  destroy 
what  good  there  may  be  in  the  sitter.  Landscape 
should  be  introduced  not  for  its  intrinsic  beauty  but 
because  its  series  of  movements  and  masses  are  an  aid 
and  support  to  the  figure.  Architectural  features  may 
play  a  part  if  the  lines  they  offer  are  of  service  in  the 
picture-upbuilding;  no  other  merit  can  justify  their 
introduction. 

Figure  114  is  a  photograph  having  all  the  refine- 
ments that  excellent  workmanship,  good  lighting,  the 
clean  plate  and  superior  printing  can  give.  The  realism 
is  not  so  oppressive  as  in  Fig.  1,  yet  the  photographer 
was  unable  to  free  himself  from  mere  fact  rendering. 
The  face,  dress,  floor,  hat,  curtain,  are  all  equally 
literal.  Compare  it  with  Fig.  115.  A  transformation 
has  taken  place  that  makes  this  example  a  portrait 
while  the  other  is  the  posed  child.  Here  we  have  en- 
veloped the  child  with  feeling,  with  loving  lines  and 
tones,  we  have  treated  her  in  the  picture  as  we  would 
treat  her  in  life,  with  the  same  lavish  care.  In  the  good 
straight  photograph  the  child  seems  abandoned  and 
forgotten. 

162 


FIG.  114 


FIG.  115 


BACKGROUNDS 

Do  we  not  become  more  and  more  conscious  of  the 
nakedness  of  the  plain  photographs  when  we  compare 
them  with  those  that  have  been  pictorially  developed  ? 

In  the  Van  Dyck,  Fig.  51,  the  rock,  foliage,  clouds 
have  grown  out  of  the  purely  abstract  in  arrangement, 
assuming  in  their  development  semblance  to  natural 
forms,  yet  this  is  not  realism  for  its  own  sake.  To  test 
this  truth  we  have  but  to  add  one  realistic  form,  one 
leaf,  rock  or  grass  blade,  or  to  shift  the  shapes  that 
exist,  and  we  destroy  that  balance  so  necessary  to  the 
portrait  quality.  In  Figures  30,  31,  and  83  architec- 
tural forms  are  used  with  the  figure,  but  in  each  the 
attempt  made  is  not  to  depict  a  realistic  window  or  wall, 
but  only  to  obtain  lines  that  produce  certain  results. 

In  Fig.  66  the  flowers  are  placed,  not  as  nature 
would  have  them  grow,  but  according  to  the  needs  of 
the  figure  and  its  surroundings.  These  flowers  are 
impossible  if  we  demand  realism,  and  yet  they  are 
satisfactory  as  space-fillers,  while  realistic  blossoms 
would  be  totally  out  of  place. 

The  created  background  in  photography  is  a  civiliz- 
ing agent. 


167 


CHAPTER  X 

CHARACTER   IN   PORTRAITURE 

A  BILITY  to  read  character  grows  out  of  our 
•*  ^  interest  in  and  sympathy  for  man.  It  is  by  no 
means  confined  to  artists,  but  their  intuition  is  usually 
strong  and  they  have  the  ability  to  interpret  character 
because  of  their  training  in  art.  The  first  stroke  of  an 
artist's  pencil  is  indicative  of  a  fine  observation,  and  he 
values  not  least  among  his  resources  his  power  of  right 
selection  from  the  complex  subject-matter  offered  by 
his  sitter. 

In  contrast,  observe  the  photographic  methods. 
Lenses  producing  softness  of  outline  are  used  by  only 
a  few.  The  large  body  of  photographers  still  bestow 
their  favor  upon  the  lens  that  gives  "all  over"  micro- 
scopic detail.  Are  not  the  methods  of  the  trained 
artist  and  those  of  the  photographer  seen  to  be  radi- 
cally different?  Yet  both  aim  at  the  same  result. 
Guide-books  in  European  cities  direct  us  to  galleries 
of  paintings  replete  with  masterpieces  in  portraiture. 
As  yet  no  nation  seems  to  have  been  impelled  to  collect 
and  house  photo-likenesses.  Is  it  because  the  photog- 

168 


CHARACTER  IN  PORTRAITURE 

rapher  has  used  the  same  methods  in  picturing  the 
statesman,  the  business  man,  the  clergy,  the  farmer,  in 
fact  all  types  including  the  rogue  ?  Is  it  that  the  same- 
ness of  result  fails  to  impress  ?  Does  not  the  great 
weakness  in  the  photographer's  position  lie  in  this, — 
that  he  has  placed  all  reliance  upon  lighting  and  the 
pose  ? 

Lighting  in  photography  as  well  as  in  painting 
is  important.  The  pose  should  be  studied  in  both 
branches  of  art  because  through  it  a  certain  character 
is  revealed  and  picturesqueness  is  attained,  but  only 
manipulation  of  the  photographic  plate  and  possibly 
of  the  printing  paper  will  so  eliminate  on  the  one  hand 
and  supplement  on  the  other  as  to  make  the  picture 
an  expression  of  the  mental  vision  of  the  artist- 
photographer.  Large  possibilities  will  then  open  and 
the  worker  will  sharply  distinguish  between  the  many 
kinds  of  portraits.  For  instance,  some  people  lend 
themselves  best  to  "character-head  portraiture";  with 
these  the  face  is  to  be  so  treated  that  the  inherent 
traits  of  strong  character  shall  be  revealed.  There  are 
portraits  for  the  extraordinary  beauty  of  the  face  or  a 
part  of  it; 

Portraits  to  show  the  eyes  especially; 

Portraits  for  fine  carriage  of  a  head  on  a  well-shaped 
neck  and  shoulders; 

Portraits  setting  off  jewels,  fine  laces,  etc. ; 

169 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

Portraits  expressing  the  inwardness  of  the  sitter's 
nature,  as  Whistler's  Mother,  or  his  Carlyle; 

Portraits  revealing  such  traits  of  character  as  in- 
tellectuality (Lenbach);  as  "soul"  (Van  Dyck);  as 
aristocratic  nature  (Van  Dyck); 

Portraits  of  types,  viz. ,  the  musician,  the  artist,  the 
man  of  the  church,  the  scholar,  the  business  man,  the 
warrior ; 

Portraits  where  the  whole  figure  is  to  impress  us  by 
its  fine  form  and  carriage  or  its  elaborate  costume; 

Portraits  where  the  figure  is  chiefly  an  excuse  for 
the  beauty  an  artist  can  infuse  by  his  handling  of  light 
and  shade  or  his  decorative  treatment; 

Portraits  for  pomp  and  authority,  regal; 

Portraits  of  children  with  playthings  or  animal  pets ; 

Portraits  in  the  open  air. 

It  is  possible  to  depict  any  or  all  of  these  when  the 
artist  or  artist-photographer  builds  up  his  picture 
scheme  from  the  foundation.  Facial  expression  with- 
out this  basis  is  without  substance  or  enduring  interest. 


170 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE    FOIL 

\\  7TTHOUT  suggestion  appreciation  for  the  beau- 
tiful cannot  come.  Beauty  without  emotion  is 
inconceivable.  In  art  emotion  expresses  itself,  as  we 
have  found,  through  the  power,  force,  and  movement 
of  lines.  Extending  line  to  tone  we  have  the  added 
factors  of  crescendo  and  diminuendo  of  light  and  shade. 
The  more  spontaneous  the  handling  of  these  elements 
the  higher  is  the  art  expression. 

There  is  one  other  agent  that  stimulates  the  imagina- 
tion. It  is  present  in  beauty  and  is  the  silence  of 
emotion.  It  is  the  foil. 

Over-concentration  on  any  object  means  that  all 
other  parts  of  a  picture  do  not  receive  their  due  share 
of  attention.  A  foil  is  something  introduced  to  pre- 
vent over-accentuation  or  harmful  weakening  of  the 
main  intent,  it  is  a  means  of  spreading  the  interest  to 
the  other  sections  of  the  picture.  It  is  a  balancing 
feature  but  it  is  more,  it  is  a  life-giving  and  picture- 
making  force  the  merits  of  which  have  never  been 

sufficiently  rated.     The  absence  of  the  foil  in  plain 

171 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

photography  is  largely  the  reason  for  its  lack  of  picture 
quality. 

A  foil  is  a  difficult  thing  to  describe  for  it  changes 
its  character  with  every  picture  in  which  it  is  used. 
When  we  have  a  heavily  accented  face  the  foil  is  the 
presence  of  something  within  easy  vision  of  the  eye, 
strong  enough  to  detract  attention  somewhat  from  the 
face  and  to  keep  it  from  being  vulgarly  near.  It  gives 
the  reserve  quality  that  we  call  refinement.  But  the 
foil  is  not  visibly  present  as  such  in  all  pictures.  In  a 
masterly  oval  picture,  for  instance,  when  the  frame 
closely  fits  the  figure  portrayed,  the  very  nearness  of 
that  frame  creates  the  "consciousness  beside  the  face" 
that  acts  as  a  foil.  Whenever  the  frame  is  close  to  the 
figure  the  need  for  an  especial  foil  is  lessened  or  re- 
moved, but  the  necessity  for  it  is  great  where  the  figure 
is  surrounded  by  much  space.  We  sometimes  find  that 
it  is  a  mere  form  or  tint  breaking  the  monotony  of  a 
large  surface.  This  in  itself  shows  how  carefully 
weighed  must  be  everything  we  introduce  in  a  picture, 
for  each  part  has  more  than  one  office  to  perform. 

.  In  Fig.  28  the  background  forms  gradation  of  tone 
lightest  at  the  shoulder,  where  the  accent  formed  by  the 
shoulder  lines  is  the  foil  to  the  face.  With  the  intro- 
duction of  the  successful  foil,  we  see  the  face  less,  but 
feel  it  more.  To  look  directly  at  the  chief  interest  in  a 
picture,  as  in  Fig.  86,  without  feeling  any  gentle  alle- 

172 


FIG.  116 


FIG.  117 


THE  FOIL 

viating  factor,  is  to  experience  a  sense  of  displeasure  at 
the  first  glance.  If  what  we  are  to  gaze  upon  is  not 
thrust  at  us,  but  has  treatment  of  refinement  all  through 
and  about  it,  comes  playfully  forward,  offers  itself  with 
reserve,  we  are  fascinated. 

Comparing  Figures  116  and  117  these  qualities  are 
found  to  exist  in  Fig.  116.  Each  playful  line  and  tone 
sings  away  the  material  rendering  of  the  plain  photo- 
likeness  and  makes  the  picture  alive  with  merriment. 
Nature  forms  a  smile  with  curves.  What  artist  would 
not  take  the  hint  from  this  expressive  face  and  bring 
the  other  shapes  into  harmony  with  it?  The  hat,  for 
instance,  in  Fig.  117,  is  as  expressionless  as  any  still 
life,  not  a  form  is  lifted  out  of  inertia  and  yet  a  touch 
of  the  hand  will  make  these  lines  laugh  with  the  face. 
The  treatment  in  Fig.  116  shows  an  enlargement  of  curve 
into  curve,  all  so  made  that  their  natural  centre  would 
be  the  eyes.  In  Fig.  117  the  face  is  separated  from  its 
background  by  a  density  of  tone  inconsistently  serious. 
It  is  further  made  matter-of-fact  by  the  obtrusiveness 
of  its  margins.  In  Fig.  116  both  objectionable  con- 
ditions have  been  removed;  the  face  holds  some  of  the 
light  of  the  picture  and  the  background  softly  supports 
its  forms  with  tones.  All  about  the  head  are  intro- 
duced foils  in  the  shape  of  curved  lines  of  varying 
strength.  They  are  measured  to  fit  the  expression. 
Seriousness  is  manifest  in  the  forms  of  the  body  in  Fig. 

177 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

117.  In  Fig.  116  the  sleeves  have  been  outlined  with 
an  emotional  stroke,  the  margins  of  the  dress  have 
impetuous  lines,  and  spirited  touches  have  modified  the 
laces  over  the  bust.  In  perfect  harmony  with  these 
has  been  the  life-giving  characterization  imparted  to 
the  background.  Notice  the  effect  of  a  low  horizon, 
what  depth  it  gives  the  picture,  what  loftiness  and 
lightness  to  the  figure.  Compared  with  it  Fig.  117  feels 
heavy,  without  movement.  Figure  117  is  the  subject; 
in  Fig.  116  the  subject  has  been  analyzed,  the  smile 
was  found  to  be  the  motive  and  treatment  has  made 
the  picture.  Its  value  lies  in  the  quality  attained. 

In  Fig.  30  the  lines,  lights,  and  darks  introduced 
behind  the  head  are  to  the  uninitiated  merely  a  window 
and  landscape,  while  to  the  art  student  they  form  the 
satisfactory  foil. 

Sometimes  the  diversion  is  an  apparently  meaning- 
less spot  or  abstract  line  or  wilful  shadow.  In  Fig.  115 
it  is  the  light  line  on  the  floor,  in  Fig.  119  it  is  the 
sudden  light  touching  the  hat  and  bringing  expression 
into  the  eyes.  The  added  charm  is  felt  when  we  com- 
pare the  picture  with  the  plain  photograph,  Fig.  118. 

There  is  a  lesson  for  us  in  a  study  of  the  prints 
57,  58,  59,  64.  Both  Figures  57  and  58  are  the  pho- 
tographic facts  of  nature;  Fig.  59  brings  the  introduction 
of  suggestion.  Its  vertical  line  in  the  background 
stimulates  thought  and  directs  our  eye  to  the  face,  yet 

178 


FIG.  118 


FIG.  119 


THE  FOIL 

it  prevents  over-concentration  upon  that  face;  it  is  the 
foil.  Very  different  is  the  problem  in  Fig.  64  where 
lines  have  lost  decision  and  the  illusion  sifts  through 
the  tone.  Here  the  foil  to  the  face  is  a  shape  of  white 
linen  speaking  through  the  quality  of  color.  Further 
decentralization  is  brought  by  the  delicate  accents  of 
light  in  the  background.  Nothing  in  this  picture  is 
overcharged  and  it  consequently  holds  our  interest  better 
than  its  predecessors. 

Often  the  foil  is  more  vigorous,  as  in  Fig.  51,  where 
the  upright  line  of  rock  makes  the  face  less  personal 
and  the  attitude  more  dignified.  A  foil  successfully 
used  causes  the  workmanship  to  become  less  apparent. 
The  tender  spiritual  quality  of  the  foil  cannot  exist 
where  there  is  no  picture  plan. 


183 


CHAPTER  XII 

TONE,    COLOR 

TVTTJMEROUS  as  are  the  elements  at  play  in  a  pic- 
-**  ^  ture,  they  are  brought  into  "oneness"  by  tone. 
Tone  may  be  defined  as  the  running  together  of  well- 
arranged  masses  and  spots  so  that  their  edges  are  a 
means  of  fusion  rather  than  separation.  Let  us  imagine 
a  room  dimly  lighted  by  a  gas  jet  covered  with  a  warmly 
tinted  globe.  Into  this  room  a  number  of  persons 
enter.  If  one  is  dressed  in  white  and  another  in  black, 
the  white  and  dark  will  be  influenced  by  the  dim  red 
glow.  The  white  garment  will  be  affected  by  the  light 
with  mellowness;  that  is,  the  whiteness  will  take  upon 
itself  the  dimness  of  the  faintly  issuing  light,  the  black 
will  be  far  from  black  for  the  atmosphere  of  the  room 
will  bathe  or  tone  it,  and  both  white  and  black  will 
have  lost  their  strength  of  contrast  in  the  dimness. 
These  figures  will  be  "in  tone."  Again,  if  they  pro- 
ceed to  an  adjoining  room  lighted  by  a  goodly  number 
of  gas  jets  all  incased  in  creamy  globes,  the  radiance 
of  the  room  will  affect  their  appearance,  their  costumes 
and  their  "flesh  values,"  so  that  they  are  quite  other 

184 


TONE,  COLOR 

than  they  were  in  the  dim  room  but  they  are  still  "in 
tone."  Again,  if  there  is  but  a  single  gas  jet  lowered 
to  emit  only  the  faintest  light  and  a  man  steps  up  to 
it  to  read  a  letter,  his  head,  figure,  hand  and  letter 
will  all  be  affected  by  the  faint  illumination  in  which 
he  stands.  He  also  will  be  "in  tone." 

Tone  is  the  presence  of  atmosphere  affected  by 
some  light  that,  pouring  over  figure  and  object,  subjects 
all  to  its  own  quality.  This  is  not  less  true  in  pictures. 
There,  too,  black  and  white  change  to  meet  the  quality 
of  the  atmosphere  introduced,  and  all  intermediate 
lights  and  darks  are  influenced  by  the  same  spell. 
Tone  is  an  enchanter,  everything  is  at  the  mercy  of  its 
mystic  charm.  When  it  is  present,  figures  and  objects 
in  a  picture  do  not  affront  us;  they  play  back  into  the 
enveloping  quality  of  the  prevailing  picture-light. 
This  light-affected  air  in  the  picture  constitutes  the 
motive;  the  figure  and  objects  are  only  played  upon  by 
it  and  are  the  subject.  When  objects  are  not  sub- 
merged in  a  prevailing  tone  we  speak  of  them  as  being 
"out  of  tone."  This  expression  applies  to  the  hat  and 
waist  of  Fig.  120.  Considerable  tone  quality  is  present 
in  the  face  and  hair,  but  they  are  not  in  the  same  at- 
mosphere with  the  laces  and  linen.  The  even  dark 
background  is  the  very  negation  of  tone.  In  Fig.  123 
the  tone  effect  is  consistent  throughout. 

In  Fig.  28  we  have  the  presence  of  tone.     In  it  the 

185 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

flesh,  body,  and  background  are  suffused,  nothing  de- 
parts from  that  atmospheric  effect.  Note  by  contrast 
the  hard  contours  everywhere  prevalent  in  Fig.  27,  the 
emptiness  of  the  flesh.  Although  the  forms  are  more 
sharply  defined,  they  are  less  real  than  in  the  pictorial 
rendering,  Fig.  28.  Tone  never  permits  two  whites  to 
jerk  our  sight  over  black  abysses  as  in  Fig.  118.  Tone 
is  gentle,  it  is  the  mystic  conveyer  of  the  senses, 
ethereal. 

COLOR 

We  speak  of  color  in  photography  when  we  really 
mean  the  color  sense ;  it  does  not  imply  the  presence  of 
actual  colors  or  even  the  printing  of  the  negative  in 
sepia.  Colors  do  not  necessarily  make  color  even  in 
painting.  It  is  a  quality  of  combinations  that  makes 
color,  either  in  painting  or  photography.  When  it  is 
present  the  means  of  expression  in  black  and  white  art 
or  in  painting  are  so  richly  combined,  so  imbued  with 
thought  and  feeling,  so  heightened  in  their  juxtaposi- 
tion and  interposition  of  strength-giving  contrasts,  that 
the  combinations  act  upon  the  senses  with  a  fulness 
equaled  perhaps  by  no  other  element  in  art.  It  may 
be  said  to  be  an  intensification  of  the  quality  found  in 
tone.  Nothing  shows  the  strong  emotional  nature  of 
an  artist  as  does  the  sense  of  color  in  his  work.  His 
pictures  may  be  graceful,  large  in  effect,  decorative, 
earnest,  and  still  not  possess  this  beautiful  element. 

186 


TONE,  COLOR 

In  fine  reproductions  of  Rembrandt's  portraits  there 
is  color.  We  do  not  so  readily  find  it  in  prints  from  the 
works  by  Franz  Hals,  Rubens,  and  Van  Dyck.  Among 
early  English  painters  Gainsborough  is  the  colorist  from 
the  black  and  white  standpoint.  Whistler  represents 
that  quality  strongly  among  the  moderns.  Portrait 
artists  of  the  present  Scotch  school  strive  for  and  ad- 
mirably express  it. 

Figure  115  has  attained  to  much  color;  it  is  found 
to  some  extent  in  Fig.  113  and  is  not  absent  from  Fig. 
123. 


187 


CHAPTER  XIII 

LIGHT   AND    SHADE 

^  I^HE  minute  analysis  of  what  constitutes  the  dif- 
-•-  ference  between  "light  and  dark"  and  "light  and 
shade"  is  necessary  for  two  reasons.  First,  if  pictorial 
art  in  our  country  is  ever  to  attain  to  that  development 
that  is  the  very  flower  of  European  civilization  the 
young  must  be  taught  to  understand  it  and  not  judge 
it  from  decorative  standards  only.  Second,  photog- 
raphy emerging  from  science  into  pictorial  art  should 
be  supplied  with  principles  unmistakable  and  direct. 
A  wide-spread  re-awakened  interest  in  the  Arts  and 
Crafts  has  resulted  in  the  upbuilding  of  several  systems 
for  teaching  composition  in  which  the  decorative  prin- 
ciple is  made  to  dominate  in  all  representation.  Pic- 
torial art  thereby  suffers  misinterpretation.  The  Arts 
and  Crafts  movement  was  revived  by  William  Mor- 
ris, who  in  turn  had  been  stimulated  by  the  writings 
of  John  Ruskin.  Morris's  ideas  were  mediaeval  and 
Gothic.  Followers  of  this  movement  abroad  and  in 
our  own  country  came  later  under  the  spell  of  Japanese 
art  and  were  fascinated  by  the  beauty  resulting  from 
its  pure  decorative  quality.  Its  influence  soon  began 

188 


LIGHT  AND  SHADE 

to  be  felt  and  attempts  were  made  to  harmonize  our 
traditional  pictorial  art  with  the  principles  revealed 
in  the  work  of  the  Japanese.  While  certain  qualities 
of  this  oriental  art  can  enrich,  we  go  to  destructive 
lengths  when  we  make  its  foundations  a  basis  for  our 
pictorial  art.  Not  until  the  Occident  is  willing  to  dis- 
pense with  the  tactile  quality,  to  expunge  perspective, 
anatomy,  and  shadows,  to  surrender  its  own  idea  of  a 
finished  work,  can  it  accept  that  pure  abstract  beauty 
composing  Japanese  and  Chinese  art,  nor  will  the 
oriental  idea  avail  us  so  long  as  we  use  oil  colors. 

A  translucent  quality  is  possessed  by  the  oil  and 
when  mixed  with  pigment  it  has  a  natural  depth  which 
it  always  maintains.  A  simple  even  tone  in  the  back- 
ground, for  instance,  will  retain  a  mystery,  suggestive- 
ness,  receptiveness,  and  richness  in  an  oil  painting  not 
known  to  any  other  medium. 

The  difference  between  the  decorative  and  pictorial 
principle  is  this:  In  decoration  we  seek  to  retain  the- 
feeling  of  the  surface,  whatever  the  elaboration  may 
be,  while  in  pictorial  work  an  illusion  is  created 
on  any  surface,  that  we  are  looking  into  a  space  much 
as  we  would  gaze  through  a  window.  The  gulf  be- 
tween the  oriental  art  based  on  decoration,  and  the 
occidental  founded  upon  the  pictorial  principle,  widens 
in  many  ways.  For  instance,  in  applying  colors  Japa- 
nese art  is  brought  into  being  by  an  emotional  touch 

189 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

with  the  water-color  brush  characterized  by  spontaneity. 
The  stroke  is  at  once  complete.  Oil  colors,  the  medium 
that  to  us  is  most  responsive,  allow  deliberation,  cor- 
rection, growth,  and  in  working  with  them  we  acquire 
a  habit  of  "going  into"  the  material,  seeking  greater 
depth  through  superposition  of  colors.  Not  least  effec- 
tive in  this  technique  is  the  glaze,  by  means  of  which 
the  under  painting  is  made  richer,  more  lustrous, 
and  possessed  of  a  mysterious  quality  resulting  from 
its  being  revealed  beneath  the  transparent  film.  With 
this  technique  an  occidental  artist  may  labor  over  his 
work  indefinitely.  Some  famous  pictures  now  in 
European  galleries  have  required  from  four  to  five, 
others  even  ten  years  for  completion. 

The  occidental  artist  is  bound  to  his  model,  is 
unable  to  paint  seriously  without  nature  before  him. 
Occidental  art  may  be  said  to  come  nearer  to  an  imita- 
tion of  nature  than  oriental  art.  In  producing  their 
pictures  the  Japanese  work  from  a  memory  of  things 
observed,  from  suggestion,  and  the  work  is  considered 
worthless  when  labored.  It  can  be  readily  seen  that 
our  oil  pigment  is  not  suited  to  oriental  needs,  nor  is 
their  method  of  using  water  colors  serviceable  to  us  in 
rendering  the  more  compact  phenomena  of  nature. 

All  our  mediums,  such  as  the  pen  and  ink,  pencil, 
etching  needle  and  water  colors,  are  used  with  a  de- 
liberate intention  of  getting  the  plastic  effects  to  which 

190 


LIGHT  AND  SHADE 

we  have  become  endeared  through  our  exploitation  of 
oil  painting.  In  the  use  of  each  we  wish  to  direct  the 
gaze  into  the  picture,  whereas  in  decorative  work  the 
effort  is  more  nearly  to  direct  the  gaze  at  the  picture. 

To  prepare  oil  colors  for  use  in  pictorial  (mural) 
decoration  the  oil  is  frequently  mixed  with  wax  to  cause 
it  to  lose  its  depth;  it  then  becomes  flat  or  "dead," 
attaining  surface  quality. 

These  differences  in  the  technique  and  conception 
of  art  are  racial.  There  is  no  doubt  that  occidental 
decoration  can  be  improved  by  infusion  of  Japanese 
principles,  but  our  pictorial  art  is  based  upon  so  different 
a  foundation  that  it  amounts  to  misleading  a  nation 
when  the  pictorial  is  spoken  of  as  being  cast  in  the  same 
mould  with  the  decorative  principle.  For  several  cen- 
turies there  prevailed  in  occidental  art  a  mistaken  view 
as  to  the  relation  of  the  pictorial  principle  to  decora- 
tion. That  branch  known  as  mural  painting,  which 
being  based  upon  architectural  conditions  is  funda- 
mentally decorative,  has  been  overpowered  by  the 
pictorial  principle.  It  remained  for  Puvis  de  Chavannes 
in  his  mural  work  to  re-establish  right  relations. 

A  decoration  is  always  identified  with  the  object 
it  embellishes,  while  a  pictorial  representation  is  as 
mobile  as  a  leaf.  Expected  to  be  beautiful  in  itself,  it 
can  be  hung  wherever  the  good  taste  of  its  owner  im- 
pels him  to  place  it.  Though  one  branch  of  art  pro- 

191 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

jects  itself  into  another,  its  fundamental  principle  is 
to  be  kept  intact.  To  take  a  panel  painted  by  Cha- 
vannes  from  its  place  in  the  Boston  Public  Library  and, 
framing  it,  incorporate  it  in  another  building  would  be 
to  injure  the  painting,  to  entirely  pervert  its  meaning 
and  purpose  and  to  weaken  its  beauty. 

An  easel  picture  may  and  often  should  possess  deco- 
rative qualities,  thus  fusing  sobering  science  with  the 
more  emotional  pictorial  element.  Figures  90  and  91 
are  examples. 

The  pictorial  photograph  shares  with  the  easel  pic- 
ture these  qualities.  Like  any  well-blanced  pictorial 
composition  it  may  be  placed  upon  the  wall  and  it  will 
"hold"  at  any  distance.  The  artistic  photographic 
rendering, — Fig.  96,  will  be  pleasingly  effective  upon  the 
wall,  but  its  plain  prototype,  — Fig.  93,  would  be  a  strain 
to  our  vision  if  seen  at  a  distance.  Whatever  value  it 
has  lies  in  its  detail  ^jj|  in  the  fineness  of  its  texture, 
inviting  close  study. 

To  understand  still  better  the  difference  between 
the  decorative  and  the  pictorial  principles  we  will  ex- 
amine the  elements  that  compose  each. 

The  panel  A  represents  light  and  dark;  all  the 
tints  are  flat.  Placed  in  a  picture  they  maintain  their 
flatness  and  through  their  agency  decoration  is  brought 
about. 

In  panel  B  a  gradation  of  tone  called  "light  and 

192 


LIGHT  AND  SHADE 

shade,"  or  "shading,"  creates  a  feeling  as  of  penetration 
into  space.  When  a  figure  is  placed  in  a  picture  and 
enveloped  in  this  grading  of  tones,  the  illusion  is  created 
that  it  is  surrounded  by  atmosphere.  The  effect  is 
pictorial. 

When  light  and  shade  fall  upon  an  object  they 
model  form;  when  they  appear  in  space  they  produce 
depth. 

We  are  indebted  to  the  action  of  light  and  shade 
for  the  "thickness"  of  things  rendered  and  for  the  feel- 
ing of  substance.  To  understand  the  development  of 
light  and  shade  and  the  place  that  they  hold  in  our  pic- 
torial language,  the  period  of  art  immediately  embra- 
cing the  activity  of  the  Van  Eyck  brothers  should  be 
studied.  They  introduced  oil  colors  into  European 
art  and  caused  the  wonderful  development  of  painting 
that  resulted  in  the  easel  picture. 

We  are  not  discussing  the  question  whether  Japa- 
nese or  Chinese  art  is  more  desirable  than  our  own, 
nor  are  we  called  upon  to  decide  whether  the  easel 
picture  is  of  more  or  less  value  than  decoration.  We 
have  not  the  power  even  had  we  the  desire  to  cast  out 
the  effect  of  traditions  inherited  from  Greek  sculpture 
and  Renaissance  art,  from  our  literature,  philosophy, 
and  religion.  The  determining  factor  is  always  the 
public  need  and  art  must  not  attempt  to  overstep  our 
civilization. 

195 


ART  PRINCIPLES   IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

There  is  a  similarity  of  terms  used  in  teaching  deco- 
rative and  pictorial  art  that  is  quite  confusing.  For 
instance,  in  pictorial  art  we  speak  of  light  spots  and 
dark  spots,  light  masses  and  dark  masses,  and  though 
the  words  sound  like  the  decorative  terms  "light  and 
dark"  they  are  never  disassociated  from  gradation. 
For  example,  Fig.  118  is  a  plain  photograph  having 
pictorial  possibilities.  We  find  the  physical  portion 
modelled  by  the  agency  of  frontal  lighting.  All  through 
the  flesh  there  is  gradation  of  tone,  but  we  may  speak 
of  it  as  a  "mass  of  white."  Gradation  is  also  present 
in  the  hair  and  in  the  hat,  forming  broken  masses  of 
dark.  The  background  and  the  dress  are  flat  and  are 
in  a  manner  possessed  of  the  decorative  elements  that 
characterize  the  Japanese  print,  yet  how  is  it  possible 
to  develop  this  picture  on  the  decorative  principle  ?  Is 
not  satisfaction  to  be  gained  rather  by  increasing  the 
impression  of  modelling  and  by  producing  atmospheric 
conditions  in  the  background?  Light  and  shade  have 
been  employed  in  Fig.  119  to  bring  about  the  beauty 
that  conforms  with  the  occidental  ideas  of  the  human 
figure.  We  want  the  evidences  of  health,  of  cheerful 
conditions,  we  want  life  in  its  fulness;  life  itself  is 
plastic. 

The  ethereal  grace  of  a  Japanese  rendering  of  the 
same  subject,  conceived  and  carried  out  in  lines,  light 
and  dark,  would  be  a  product  unacceptable  to  our 

196 


LIGHT  AND  SHADE 

people.  Photography  with  its  imitation  of  the  round 
forms  of  nature  does  not  lend  itself  easily  to  other  than 
the  pictorial  treatment. 

Notice  the  pictorial  development  of  Fig.  118.  In 
decorative  art  the  background  space  above  the  hat 
would  be  made  as  beautiful  as  any  other  part  of  the 
picture;  its  degree  of  importance  would  not  be  second- 
ary to  the  face  or  figure.  In  pictorial  art  such  back- 
ground portions  should  be  only  relatively  beautiful 
because  they  are  supporting  elements.  In  portraiture 
we  seek  entrance  into  the  portrayed  one's  personality 
through  his  eyes.  Light  and  shade  must  animate  the 
light  spots  or  dark  spots  that  will  lead  our  interest  to 
that  point  of  attraction.  In  Fig.  118  the  eyes  are  less 
prominent  than  the  lace,  and  no  more  animated.  Turn- 
ing to  the  portrait  Fig.  119  we  meet  at  once  the  woman's 
gaze  and  are  held  by  it,  though  we  are  conscious  of  the 
rich  setting  of  the  entire  picture.  How  this  is  accom- 
plished is  explained  in  Fig.  20  and  its  principle.  In  Fig. 
118  the  flesh  is  an  irregular  light  mass  in  which  the  neck 
and  shoulders  outweigh  the  head.  In  our  effort  to  draw 
attention  to  the  eyes  we  must  counteract  the  large  light 
effect  below  the  head  and  carry  the  interest  upward  by 
placing  a  balancing  light  above.  This  is  done  in  the 
hat,  Fig.  119.  Then  we  play  a  delicate  light  circle- 
wise  from  this  spot,  still  making  use  of  the  hat,  around 
to  the  eyes.  The  result  is  an  expression  of  composure 

197 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

desirable  in  portraiture.  This  success  we  will  follow 
by  robbing  the  lace  of  its  sharp  contours,  thus  taking 
from  it  its  obtrusiveness  and  forcing  the  interest  into 
the  luminous  flesh.  In  Fig.  119  a  half-tone  has  been 
introduced  throughout  the  dress  to  tie  together  the 
three  isolated  light  spots  of  flesh,  softening  and  enrich- 
ing each.  This  half-tone  is  also  made  to  invade  the 
uniformly  dark  background,  breaking  its  surface  and 
creating  space  around  the  figure.  Thus  "light  and 
shade"  permeates  all  and  "light  and  dark"  does  not 
exist.  • 

Photographically  considered,  the  lighting  of  Fig.  120 
is  successful,  the  face  being  well  modelled,  the  detail 
well  defined.  From  a  pictorial  standpoint,  the  material 
is  in  rather  a  crude  state,  the  face  is  overpowered  by 
the  white  mass  of  the  hat,  by  the  larger  white  mass  of 
the  waist,  as  well  as  by  the  protruding  dark  of  the  back- 
ground. In  each  of  the  light  masses  there  is  a  mul- 
tiplicity of  margins  refusing  to  subordinate  themselves 
to  the  main  interest.  We  improve  conditions  by  giving 
our  first  attention  to  the  arrangement  for  beauty. 
We  feel  that  the  line  structure  is  not  a  happy  one.  The 
sketch  121  shows  the  general  plan  to  be  too  symmetrical. 
The  shoulder  line  C  is  half-way  between  A  and  B,  and 
the  hat  line  D  is  midway  between  C  and  B ;  the  width 
of  the  body  is  approximately  the  same  as  that  of  the 
hat.  We  must  do  something  to  make  this  regularity 

198 


FIG.  120 


LIGHT  AND   SHADE 


>---•- 


n 


\ 


201 


ART  PRINCIPLES   IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

less  apparent.  In  Fig.  123  a  great  variety  in  the 
shapes  has  resulted  from  the  introduction  of  a  series 
of  lines.  Thus  in  Fig.  122  space  11  is  different  from 
space  13.  This  again  varies  from  14,  from  12,  from  8, 
etc.  Questioning  the  line  formations  of  Fig.  120  with 
reference  to  stability,  we  find  the  sections  of  this  picture 
disjointed.  Line  A,  Fig.  122,  has  been  introduced  to 
tie  together  the  shoulder,  the  hat,  and  the  upper  frame ; 
line  B,  on  the  other  side,  starts  lower,  beginning  at  the 
scarf,  slightly  touches  the  hat,  and  ends  in  the  upper 
frame.  Line  C  invades  the  empty  field  to  the  right, 
connecting  the  arm  with  the  right  vertical  frame-line, 
and  D,  which  in  Fig.  120  is  too  obscure,  is  in  Fig.  123 
made  firm  and  touches  the  frame.  Their  united  action 
establishes  the  figure's  firmness. 

Considering  the  velocity  of  the  lines,  the  hat-rim 
(E,  Fig.  122)  shows  a  sameness  of  speed  in  Fig.  120. 
By  changing  its  accents  from  hard  to  soft,  varying  the 
degrees  of  intensity,  we  attain  pleasing,  sympathetic 
results.  The  upper  frame  is  checked  by  lines  A  and  B, 
the  right  frame  by  C  and  D,  and  the  left  is  modified  in 
velocity  by  the  nearness  of  B.  Thus  the  tempo  of  the 
frame  has  been  brought  into  harmony  with  the  mood 
of  the  picture.  Similar  modifications  have  occurred 
in  the  body,  where  the  minute  definitions  of  form  in 
Fig.  120  have  given  way  to  playful  tones  in  Fig.  123. 

It  is  of  interest  to  notice  the  difference  in  the  charac- 

202 


FIG.  123 


LIGHT  AND  SHADE 

ter  of  lines  A  and  B.  Their  lengths  have  been  unequally 
broken.  B  has  been  over-cut  by  leaf  forms  to  modify 
its  strength.  These  lines,  A  and  B,  the  leaves,  the 
dark  spaces  on  either  side,  all  act  as  a  foil  to  the  face, 
giving  Fig.  123  the  self-contained  look  so  absent  in 


FIG.  124 

Fig.  120,  where  the  expression  is  self-conscious.  The 
factors  enumerated  also  direct  our  gaze  to  the  eyes  in 
the  picture  and  it  rests  there,  the  expression  gaining 
in  soulfulness. 

205 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

Although  there  are  other  principles  important  in 
picture  construction,  these  are  indispensable  in  the 
practice  of  this  new  art.  Their  application  is  varied 
in  each  problem.  For  instance,  in  Fig.  117,  where  the 
background  is  light  and  the  figure  offers  the  dark  note, 
we  find  an  uncomfortable  state  of  affairs  in  that  the 
black  of  the  hair  despotically  claims  our  attention,  the 
arm  visible  on  the  right  is  almost  equally  obtrusive,  and 
the  bow  at  the  belt  is  impertinent.  Composition  does 
not  condemn  these  factors  excepting  when  they  are  left 
unharmonized.  It  is  our  duty  to  learn  to  make  use  of 
them.  The  drawing  124  shows  how  the  points  1,  2, 
3,  that  in  Fig.  117  are  unsatisfactory,  are  linked  in  Fig. 
116  as  by  an  invisible  chain  to  5,  6,  7,  8,  4,  encircling  the 
figure,  touching  the  frame  line,  breaking  meaningless 
empty  spaces,  throwing  depth  into  the  background,  and 
withal  centring  our  attention  upon  the  face. 

Where  masses  and  vigorous  spots  of  light  interlace 
with  similar  masses  and  spots  of  dark  against  a  common 
half-tone  ground  the  problem  becomes  truly  complex, 
and  requires  the  deeper  knowledge  of  composition  that 
comes  only  with  long  study.  A  master  handling  these 
factors  is  Carolus  Duran.  A  study  of  his  pictures  would 
help  to  solve  the  problem,  and  will  be  of  special  interest 
to  those  whose  nature  demands  an  expression  of  the 
color  sense  embodied  with  the  portrait. 


206 


CHAPTER  XIV 

LIGHTING 

IT  has  been  the  aim  of  all  photographers  to  bring 
about  pictorial  quality  in  their  work  through  the 
agency  of  lighting. 

We  have  learned  in  our  analysis  of  the  pictures  in 
this  book  that  the  true  sphere  of  lighting  is  the  model- 
ling of  form,  that,  however  effective  lighting  may  be 
made,  it  alone  does  not  bring  the  representation  be- 
yond the  imitation  of  nature.  Considering  lighting  as 
understood  by  the  profession,  we  find  that  many  systems 
have  been  invented,  advertised,  and  practised  without 
bringing  a  clarified  view  of  the  subject  to  the  worker  or 
satisfying  him  as  to  the  results  of  his  efforts. 

Some  of  these  systems  have  rested  upon  minute 
directions  as  to  studio  fixtures,  the  angle  of  sky-light, 
the  exact  placing  of  the  sitter,  and  the  relative  position 
of  the  camera. 

It  may  be  seen  that  such  systems  would  tend  to 
make  all  photographs  alike,  —  an  end  which  if  attained 
must  bring  portrait-photography  into  disfavor  because 
of  the  weariness  of  repetition.  Individuality  in  man 

207 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

has  been  too  great  a  force  to  be  submerged  by  any  pre- 
scribed rules,  and  each  photographer  has  found  a  way 
of  lighting  that  fits  his  conception  of  a  portrait.  This 
he  should  continue  to  use  undisturbed,  while  pursuing 
the  art  now  opened  to  him. 

It  may  be  said  that  lighting  must  yield  the  third 
dimension. 

The  human  figure  gives  the  same  impression  of 
roundness  out  of  doors  as  in  doors,  in  a  room  with 
many  windows  as  in  the  atelier  of  but  one  light. 

Modern  schools  of  painting  are  experimenting  in 
all  kinds  of  light,  and  photographers  will  invigorate 
their  art  by  doing  the  same,  but  there  is  a  practical 
side  to  photographic  portraiture  that  limits  our  analysis 
to  what  the  north  light  single  window  will  give. 

We  may  investigate  frontal,  side,  and  marginal  light- 
ing as  being  of  special  service.  (See  Figures  126,  127, 
128.)  In  Fig.  126  the  light  strikes  the  object  in  front 
from  above;  in  127  it  is  on  the  side,  and  in  128  the 
margin  is  illuminated.  All  three  drawings  have  the 
gradation  explained  in  the  previous  chapter  and  they 
seem  round.  Fig.  125  is  a  white  geometric  oblong  that 
presents  no  "body."  If  we  were  to  introduce  tint 
repetition,  as  in  Fig.  129,  the  result  would  be  not  plastic, 
but  flat;  nor  does  the  use  of  a  more  vigorous  tint  help 
us  to  obtain  the  round.  (See  Fig.  130.) 

Frontal  lighting  is  obtained  by  throwing  the  light 

208 


LIGHTING 

centrally  on  an  object  and  grading  the  tones  from  the 
highest  light  softly  to  the  edges. 

Side  lighting  gives  us  the  highest  light  on  one  side, 
a  soft  graded  tone  extending  to  the  near  frame  edge, 
and  an  ever  increasing  depth  of  tone  toward  the  other 
border,  modified  on  the  contour  by  a  reflex  light. 

Marginal  lighting  throws  its  high  light  on  the  edge, 
and  next  to  this  is  the  strongest  dark,  from  which  a 
diminuendo  of  tone  reaches  to  the  other  side. 

When  a  plaster  cast  is  placed  under  the  light  cor- 
responding to  the  foregoing  examples,  we  have  the 
effective  modelling  shown  in  Figs.  131,  132,  133. 

The  frontal  lighting  of  Fig.  131  is  always  a  tempta- 
tion to  great  portrait  painters,  inviting  a  subtle  technique 
in  the  rendering  of  the  hardly  seen  yet  thoroughly  felt 
gradations  that  it  presents. 

Photographers,  in  essaying  the  same  problem,  usually 
tend  to  flatness  or  thinness  of  effect.  When  well  done, 
every  part  of  the  head  will  have  gradation  of  tone;  the 
highest  light  will  be  where  the  light  strikes  the  nearest 
plane. 

This  high  light  is  most  effective  on  the  breadth  of 
the  forehead  with  its  slowly  curving  surface.  It  will 
differ  from  the  light  on  the  nose,  where  the  bone  and 
cartilage  reflect  it  sharp  and  keen. 

In  Fig.  132  the  lighting  principle  is  the  same  as  in 
Fig.  127.  Photographers  will  profit  by  repeatedly 

213 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

examining  these  drawings,  as  the  eye  will  read  and  the 
memory  retain  many  laws  clearly  shown  in  them.  We 
discover  that  nearest  the  highest  lights  in  abrupt  forms 
we  usually  have  the  deepest  darks;  the  shadow  thrown 
by  the  nose  is  deeper  than  the  one  on  the  side  of  the 
cheek. 

The  crescendo  of  shading  in  Fig.  133  is  an  interest- 
ing study,  as  is  also  the  great  contrast  of  tones  on  the 
edge. 

Comparing  it  with  Fig.  134,  we  find  the  former 
pictorially  sound,  and  the  latter  decorative.  Several 
factors  enter  to  make  Fig.  134  representative  of  photog- 
raphers' failures  in  lighting. 

In  the  diagram  of  flat  tones,  page  193,  in  the  chapter 
on  Light  and  Shade,  the  spaces  marked  1  and  2  have 
the  same  degree  of  dark,  a  condition  found  in  Fig.  134, 
the  shadow  on  the  nose  being  the  same  in  degree  as  a 
section  of  the  background.  Again,  in  the  diagram  the 
spaces  3-4  have  the  same  degree  of  white,  and  in  the 
drawing  of  the  plaster  cast  the  forehead  and  a  section 
of  the  background  have  equal  whiteness. 

These  tones  fall  into  one  another  and  cause  the 
planes  to  be  on  a  level.  The  black  on  the  nose  is  as 
far  back  as  the  black  in  the  background;  or  reversed, 
the  black  background  comes  forward  to  a  level  with 
the  shadow  of  the  nose.  The  same  can  be  said  of  the 
whites  just  examined. 

214 


FIG.  131 


FIG.  ]32 


FIG.  133 


FIG.  134 


LIGHTING 

Photographers  are  given  to  these  errors,  especially 
in  their  half-tones  where  repetition  is  frequent. 

One  other  consideration  is  of  importance  in  model- 
ling. The  outline  of  the  head  in  Fig.  134  has  the 
marginal  sharpness  so  destructive  to  pictorial  effect  in 
photography.  The  mechanical  sameness  of  its  strength 
weakens  the  shading  and  destroys  the  sense  of  "  body." 

A  wholesome  lesson  is  learned  by  the  analysis  of 
the  outline  in  Fig.  133.  We  find  it  continuously  chang- 
ing from  the  soft  to  the  firm,  from  the  sharp  back  to 
the  soft,  the  delicate,  the  interrupted.  This  kind  of  a 
line  models  form  quite  as  much  as  does  gradation  in 
tone. 

It  can  be  said  of  the  outline  in  Fig.  134  that  the 
sensitive  forms  of  the  head  are  bounded  by  it  but  not 
described. 

Applying  the  lesson  to  an  example,  we  discover  that 
the  flat  background  in  Fig.  50  flattens  the  lighting  in 
the  face  and  lessens  the  "body"  sense  of  all  the  forms, 
while  the  background  in  Fig.  51,  having  depth,  adds 
to  the  lighting  obtained  on  the  figure. 

The  same  is  true  of  the  photo-prints,  when  we  set 
side  by  side  the  plain  and  the  pictorially  developed 
pictures.  Photographers  often  obtain  effects  in  light- 
ing that  are  not  acceptable  to  their  patrons,  as  for 
instance  Fig.  135.  Here  the  flesh  tones  have  lost  their 

luminous  quality  and  seem  spotty.     The  problem  pre- 
221 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

sented  is  not  a  discouraging  one  to  art.  Composition 
will  rectify  the  faults.  Notice  how  in  Fig.  136  the 
balance  of  darks,  half-tones  and  lights  effect  a  pleasing 
portrait,  full  of  life  and  interest  and  without  objection- 
able overshading  of  the  flesh  forms. 

The  trimming  of  print  137  was  the  outcome  of  the 
photographer's  decision  that  the  lighting  was  not  strong 
enough  for  the  background  and  the  draperies.  Yet 
this  same  lighting  can  be  made  to  hold  against  a  large 
area.  The  real  trouble  seems  to  lie  in  the  circum- 
stance that  the  picture,  attempting  an  action,  is  with- 
out movement;  further,  that  the  arm  and  hand  have 
become  too  obtrusive  for  the  good  effect  of  the  face. 
By  throwing  the  emphasis  where  it  belongs  we  have 
produced  action,  and  the  proper  tempo.  In  Fig.  138 
an  unusual  and  satisfactory  pictorial  rendering  is  the 
outcome. 

The  lighting  need  not  give  anxiety  to  the  experi- 
enced photographer,  but  composition  should  be  the 
object  of  his  earnest  search. 


222 


FTG.  135 


FIG.  136 


FIG.  137 


'  '  , 


FIG.  138 


CHAPTER  XV 

PROCESSES 

THE  great  portrait  painter  of  Germany,  Franz  von 
Lenbach,  made  it  a  practise  to  have  his  subjects 
photographed.  He  considered  these  photographs  a 
convenience,  as  they  gave  him  a  record  of  the  exact 
form  upon  which  he  could  build  his  wonderful  treat- 
ment. 

The  true  value  of  the  plain  negative  should  be  to 
the  photographer  what  it  was  to  this  artist.  That  is, 
it  should  procure  for  him  a  likeness.  Having  secured 
this  in  his  usual  way,  he  may  raise  it  to  portraiture  by 
the  chemical  treatment  of  the  plate. 

Our  object  is  to  get  a  negative  in  which  the  lighting 
and  detail  give  a  satisfactory  rendering  of  the  Fr°Per 
person,  but  the  negative's  background  is  to  be  Negative, 
empty  of  form. 

We  therefore  relinquish  screens  having  pattern  or 
scenic   painting.     These    are   to  be  replaced        -Back- 
by    the    artist's    inventions    worked    on    the  Screen, 
plate. 

229 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

The  most  easily  worked  background  is  the  one  hav- 
ing a  tone  half-way  between  the  extremes  of  black 
The  Half-  ancj  wnite.  There  is  an  advantage  in  hav- 

ToneBack-  . 

ground.       ing  it  flat,  but  soft  gradations  of  tone  are  no 

great  obstacle. 

White  A  useful  screen  is  one  painted  a  modified 

ground        white,  and  flat.    It  is  effective  with  flesh  tones, 

Screen.        is  sympathetic  and  tenderly  supports  white  or 

light-colored  gowns* 

Black  The  sombre  black  screen  is  well  placed  be- 

ground        hind  men  and  it  helps  the  portraits  of  women 

Screen.        wearing  black  or  dark  gowns. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  confine  ourselves  to  the  use 
Textured  of  painted  backgrounds,  as  any  even-toned 
grounds,  texture  such  as  raw  linen,  silk,  velure,  or 
burlap  will  yield  rich  results.  Burlaps  may  be  recom- 
mended when  one  has  in  mind  landscape  character- 
istics as  a  support  to  the  figure. 

This  texture  yields  a  quality  of  depth  and  atmos- 
phere that  is  very  pleasing. 

An  excellent  screen  may  be  made  in  the  following 
HOW  to  wav :  After  linen  has  been  placed  on  a  stretcher, 

paint  a  .  , . 

Screen  for    it  is  gone  over  with  one  coat  or  glue,  applied 

very  thin.     When  this  has  dried,  it  is  painted 

Use.  over  with  lampblack,  a  little  burnt  sienna  and 

as  much  flake  white  as  is  wanted,  and  these  are  mixed 

with  caseine,  a  sort  of  glue. 

230 


PROCESSES 

This  medium  is  better  than  distemper  painting,  as 
it  easily  produces  evenness  of  tint. 

The  tone  of  this  caseine  painting  may  be  altered  at 
any  time  by  spraying  the  surface  with  water  and  paint- 
ing into  it  the  tone  desired. 

The  common  window  shade  having  an  oil  ground 
is  well  adapted  to  the  medium. 

When  placing  the  model  before  the  background, 
we  should  not  be  hampered  by  the  Reeling  that  The  Size  of 
there  is  not  sufficient  material  behind  him  to  the  Back~ 

ground 

allow  for  the  accidents  that  come  during  these  Screen  or 
operations.     It  would  be  well,  therefore,  to    Curtam- 
have  the  background  of  large  dimensions,  giving  much 
space  above  the  head  of  the  sitter,  and  ample  room  on 
the  sides.     It  should  also  be  brought  forward  on  the 
floor  quite  far  to  the  foreground.     The  usual  floor  line 
is  eliminated  by  shaping   the  material  curvewise  for- 
ward from  the  wall  to  the  floor. 

PROCESS    NO.    I 

It  is  the  varying  densities  of  the  film  that  cause  the 
image  to  appear  to  us,  when  we  hold  the  negative  to  the 
light.  Our  art  begins  with  the  alterations  we  produce 
in  these  densities  to  harmonize  the  parts.  We  should 
be  able  to  produce  at  will,  dark  or  light  lines,  sharp  or 
soft  lines,  also  tones  of  any  degree  of  light  or  dark. 
Medium  A  will  produce  the  dark. 

231 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

Dissolve  one  part  Red  Prussiate  of  Potash  in  fifteen 
Medium  A.  parts  of  water.  Wrap  the  bottle  in  yellow  paper 
to  protect  the  solution  from  decomposition  by  light. 
Prepare  a  solution  of  one  ounce  of  Hyposulphite  of 
Soda  in  fifteen  ounces  of  water.  These  two  items  are 
from  the  Cramer  Reducing  Formula.  It  is  not  our 
object  in  artistic  photography  to  subject  the  whole 
negative  to  a  bath  of  a  combination  of  the  prussiate 
and  the  soda,  for  that  would  reduce  the  plate  evenly, 
producing  no  change  in  the  artistic  arrangement.  Our 
principle  is  based  on  local  reduction,  and  it  is  important 
that  the  reducer  be  so  mixed  as  to  attain  its  greatest 
strength.  By  taking  six  parts  of  the  dissolved  Red 
Prussiate  of  Potash  to  eight  parts  of  the  solution  of 
Hyposulphite  of  Soda  the  limit  of  strength  is  attained. 
If  more  prussiate  is  used  the  soda  will  not  have  the 
power  to  remove  it,  and  the  etching  ceases.  The  nega- 
tive when  fixed  and  thoroughly  cleansed  may  be  worked 
upon  with  this  mixture. 

Washing  the  negative  with  the  hand  will  not  clean 
To  Cleanse  ^  Pour  some  of  the  solution  of  hyposulphite 

the  Nega- 
tive, upon  the  film  of  the  negative,  and  with  the  aid 

of  cotton  rub  it  gently,  then  subject  the  plate  to  running 
water.  The  plate  is  clean  if  the  water  remains  evenly 
upon  the  surface  when  it  is  held  horizontally. 

In  illustration  59  there  is  an  architectural  line  ex- 
tending from  the  shoulder  to  the  upper  frame.  It  is 

232 


PROCESSES 

sharp  and  straight.  The  hand  cannot  easily  attain  to 
this  precision  and  accuracy,  therefore,  tak-  HOW  to 
ing  a  broad  rubber  band,  we  will  stretch  it  ^aiteecturai 
over  the  negative  at  the  place  desired.  It  will  Lines- 
adhere  firmly  to  the  film.  A  large  camel's-hair  brush 
is  dipped  in  the  reducing  solution  and  passed  over  the 
plate  along  the  edge  of  the  rubber  band.  The  solution 
gathers  along  the  line  of  the  rubber  and  at  its  edge  acts 
most  vigorously,  making  a  sharp  line,  not  unlike  that 
produced  by  a  pen.  By  the  use  of  rubber  bands  vary- 
ing in  size,  architectural  lines  of  any  width  may  be  made. 

Procure  a  sable  brush  having  a  fine  point.  It 
should  be  large  enough  to  make  a  line  of  Artistic 
any  breadth.  Charge  this  brush  well  with  Lmes* 
the  reducer  and  pass  it  lightly  over  the  film  in  any 
direction.  By  holding  the  plate  to  the  light  we  can 
guide  the  brush  perfectly,  making  a  freehand  stroke. 
Care  should  be  taken  to  apply  the  royal  blotter  quickly, 
to  prevent  excessive  biting.  The  blotter  is  an  im- 
provement over  the  use  of  water  in  checking  the 
activity  of  the  reducer,  as  it  absorbs  the  liquid,  and 
the  film  area  remains  in  condition  for  protracted  work. 

A  number  of  sable  and  camel's-hair  brushes  should 
be  kept  in  vessels  of  clear  water.  Taking  one  Lines  with 
of  these  brushes,  play  the  water  over  the  sur- 
face  of  the  film  near  the  intended  line.  Remove 
the  excessive  moisture  with  the  blotter.  Now  make  the 

233 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

line  with  the  reducer  and  immediately  tap  the  one  side 
of  it  with  a  brush  holding  water.  This  connects  it  with 
the  moist  area,  blending  it.  A  great  variety  of  lines  can 
be  made  in  this  way. 

With  a  brush  rather  long  and  thin,  such  as  the 
impulsive  Japanese  use,  the  most  graceful  lines  can  be 
Lines.  etched  over  a  medium  dark  ground  or  over  a 
film  of  considerable  density.  Such  lines  can  be  made 
to  represent  grasses,  foliage,  tree  trunks,  in  fact  any 
form,  if  the  hand  is  skilful. 

In  light  backgrounds  small  spots  of  dark  are  often 
Dark  advantageously  placed  as  a  foundation  to  the 
spots.  light  flowers  to  be  painted  over  them  with  Me- 
dium B.  We  can  make  these  dark  shapes  by  using  the 
brush  strongly  charged,  then  quickly  applying  the  royal 
blotter. 

A  certain  Rembrandtesque  depth  results  from  the 

following    treatment:    Take    a    plate   having 

a  well-lighted  head,  reduce  all  of  the  picture 

with  the  exception  of  the  forehead,  mouth,  and  chin. 

The  royal  blotter  and  the  pure  water  brush  must  be 

skilfully  used  with  the   full   strength   reducer   to   get 

rich  results.     This  yields  an  effect  not  unlike  that  of 

a  painting  in  which  the  lights  are  put  on  thickly  to 

produce  the  appearance  of  substance  and  plasticity  in 

the  flesh. 

Procure  finely  ground  oil  colors  in  tubes.     Mix  with 

234 


PROCESSES 

flake  white  enough  ivory  black  to  make  a  light  gray, 
add  to  this  a  little  yellow  ochre.  A  piece  of  Mediums, 
glass  will  serve  as  a  palette,  and  a  palette  knife  is  re- 
quired for  the  mixing  of  the  colors.  Short,  flat,  wide 
camel's-hair  brushes,  some  pieces  of  linen,  and  a  silk 
pad  stuffed  with  cotton  are  necessary  for  the  work. 

This  medium  is  applied  upon  the  glass  side  of  the 
negative.  It  makes  "light."  Considerable  experience 
is  necessary  to  read  the  densities  correctly,  when  the 
medium  is  painted  upon  the  negative.  Applied  over 
portions  of  the  negative  that  are  already  dense  or 
"light,"  as  we  say,  it  will  act  more  forcefully  than  where 
the  film  is  thin.  Therefore,  in  dark  places,  Medium  B 
can  be  painted  with  considerable  body.  It  is  most 
effective  for  bringing  life  and  movement  into  bust  por- 
traits. For  instance,  the  original  plain  dark  back- 
ground of  Fig.  64  has  been  changed  from  the  inert  to  a 
series  of  delicate  movements,  sympathetically  support- 
ing the  head.  By  painting  over  the  area  of  the  coat, 
its  objectionable  rigidity  gives  place  to  a  more  subtle 
quality.  Medium  B  has  also  helped  to  model  the  face, 
—  give  it  force  and  character  —  while  to  the  hair  it  has 
added  lustre. 

In  painting  over  the  flesh  portions  of  the  head,  neck, 
and  bust,  the  medium  is  spread  with  our  finger  tips. 
Over  forms  of  body  and  accessory  draperies,  it  is  spread 

with  the  palm  of  the  hand  by  gentle  pattings.     Fre- 

235 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

quently  a  soft  bristle  brush  will  help  to  play  out  the 
gradations  satisfactorily. 

If  strong  blacks  are  desired  in  such  passages,  a 
cloth  dipped  in  alcohol  may  be  passed  over  the  spot, 
removing  the  medium  entirely.  The  same  method  will 
increase  the  depth  of  the  eyes.  For  instance,  if  over 
the  face,  hair,  and  other  parts  of  the  picture  Medium  B 
is  applied,  causing  a  greater  general  density,  and  if  the 
eyes  are  touched  by  a  brush  dipped  in  alcohol  to  clear 
away  the  pigment,  the  print  will  show  eyes  possessed 
of  greater  depth,  but  not  in  the  least  changed  in  the 
drawing. 

In  applying  Medium  B  the  brush  stroke  should 
The  have  decision.  If  perchance  too  much  medium 

stroke.  jjas  been  used,  we  do  not  alter  the  shape  of  the 
stroke,  but  remove  the  surplus  by  pressing  on  it  the  royal 
blotter;  when  this  is  lifted  it  carries  with  it  the  excess 
of  paint.  We  can  add  to  the  delicacy  of  stroke  by 
patting  it  with  the  palm  of  our  hands,  as  already  de- 
scribed. In  that  way  its  margins  keep  their  character 
and  the  intention  is  preserved. 

When  it  is  desired  to  have  the  whole  area  lighter, 
we  paint  with  the  brush  such  gradations  as  are  wanted, 
then  we  arrive  at  the  right  densities  by  using  a  silk  pad 
and  patting  the  surface.  Velvet  is  preferable  at  times. 

A  clean  flat  camel's-hair  brush  will  soften  the  edges 

of  the  stroke,  and  a  clean  flat  bristle  brush  can  be  used 

236 


PROCESSES 

to  drag  over  thin  passages  to  add  character  to  it.  When 
thinness  and  delicacy  of  tracery  in  one's  design  is  the 
aim,  Medium  B  can  be  thinned  with  linseed  oil  or  tur- 
pentine. Practice  along  the  line  of  these  suggestions 
will  reveal  a  rich  field  of  possibilities. 

In  a  Portrait  of  an  Old  Man,  Fig.  28,  Medium  A 
was  used  to  reduce  almost  to  clear  glass  the  Mediums 
background  and  the  forms  of  the  body,  and  A  ancf  B 
the  treatment  was  extended,  though  less  vio-  Combina- 
lently,  over  the  hands  and  most  of  the  head.  tlon* 
The  photographic  image  is  not  lost  in  this  extreme 
reduction,  indeed  it  persistently  holds  and  may  be 
brought  back  to  whatever  degree  of  accent  we  desire, 
by  the  use  of  Medium  B.  Sometimes  we  may  wish 
certain  definitions  of  form  to  remain  practically  ob- 
literated, and  then  to  invent  by  means  of  the  brush- 
stroke new  forms  of  more  pictorial  value.  As  an  in- 
stance, we  notice  that  the  complicated  lines  in  the  coat 
of  Fig.  27  have  not  been  considered  essential  to  the 
picture  expression.  They  have  been  replaced  by  lines 
and  tones  representing  very  possible  drapery  and  creat- 
ing movement  from  the  lower  interests  of  the  picture 
indirectly  toward  the  head.  The  emotional  quality 
possessed  by  these  lines  greatly  affects  the  facial  ex- 
pression. As  balancing  features,  vigorous  brush  thrusts 
have  penetrated  the  background,  and  sections  of  it 
have  received  a  tender  tone  made  with  elaborate  care. 

237 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

The  flesh  quality  and  picture  value  of  the  hands 
have  been  brought  back  by  the  skilful  use  of  Medium 
B,  and  the  life-giving  accents  appear  in  the  face. 
Medium  B  has  also  created  the  white  touch  represent- 
ing the  linen. 

By  reducing  to  blackness  the  full  area  of  the  shapes 
of  the  flowers  in  Fig.  66,  a  condition  was  prepared  for 
the  application  of  Medium  B,  by  which  means  the 
creating  of  the  light  and  shade  of  the  complicated 
flower  forms  was  fully  in  our  power.  We  may  facilitate 
our  painting  of  flowers  by  adding  pure  linseed  oil  or 
turpentine,  and  we  may  obtain  crispness  in  the  petals 
by  touching  the  Medium  B  in  thin  solution  on  the  film 
side.  The  combined  use  of  these  mediums  will  soon 
show  that  while  Medium  A  is  fine  in  gradations,  it  also 
brings  a  certain  dead  quality  into  the  print,  which  is 
counteracted  by  the  life  introduced  by  Medium  B. 

A  still  greater  refinement  of  the  technique  is  possible 
Treating  when  we  use  Medium  B  on  the  film  side  wholly. 
Side^rthe  ^  'ls  applied  thinly,  having  been  rendered 
Plate.  rather  liquid  by  the  admixture  of  turpentine. 
After  the  proper  effect  has  been  attained,  the  medium 
is  allowed  to  dry;  a  quick-drying  varnish  is  then  poured 
over  the  film  side  of  the  plate.  The  varnish  prevents 
the  oil  from  adhering  to  the  printing  paper. 


238 


PROCESSES 


PROCESS   NO.    II 

It  is  necessary  in  illustration  29  to  produce  lights 
above  and  around  the  head  and  to  re-enforce  the  lighting 
of  the  face.  The  shape  of  a  window  with  landscape 
effect  offers  an  excuse  for  these  lights, — Fig.  30.  Deli- 
cate toned  gradations  are  needed  to  render  them. 
The  process  by  which  this  is  accomplished  is  as  follows : 

Upon  the  glass  side  of  the  negative  a  very  delicate 
tone  is  laid  with  Medium  B,  extending  over  the  face 
and  all  the  section  to  be  occupied  by  the  window.  The 
thickness  of  the  application  is  varied  in  the  face  and 
the  hair,  in  the  woodwork  of  the  sill,  in  the  sky  and 
wherever  there  is  light.  Using  a  piece  of  soft  wood, 
dark  lines  were  made  by  scraping  away  the  medium, 
and  the  eyes  were  treated  in  a  similar  manner. 

From  this  negative  a  positive  was  made,  and  the 
outcome  of  our  manipulations  showed  a  beau-  The 
tifully  engraved  plate,  that  was  photographic  Positlve- 
yet  delightfully  alive,  combining  the  accuracy  of  a  neg- 
ative with  the  artistic  work  by  the  trained  hand.  Who 
would  venture  to  place  a  limit  to  the  pictorial  inven- 
tions made  practicable  by  this  method  ?  For  instance, 
the  positive  is  as  well  adapted  to  modifications  as  is 
the  negative.  The  positive,  therefore,  must  be  carefully 
studied,  that  we  may  read  the  densities  correctly.  Re- 
ferring back  to  photograph  29,  with  the  intention  of 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

working  out  the  pictorial  problem,  we  find  by  the  den- 
sities in  the  positive  that  the  ear,  collar,  certain  por- 
tions of  the  background,  and  some  parts  of  the  figure 
would  print  too  light.  We  thereupon  apply  thinly  Me- 
dium B.  The  pictorial  effect  now  being  satisfactory, 
a  final  negative  is  made  from  our  positive.  It  will  be 
noticed  that  the  use  of  Medium  B  on  the  positive  pro- 
duced darks  in  the  second  negative, — a  result  to  be 
gained  on  the  original  negative  only  by  the  use  of  Me- 
dium A.  Indeed  there  is  a  characteristic  in  the  darks 
produced  by  Medium  B  on  the  positive  that  makes  it  a 
peculiarly  facile  method  for  artistic  expression.  By  its 
use,  form-rich  background  delineations  easily  flow  from 
our  brush  points.  How  great  a  range  for  control  of  the 
artistic  effects  is  offered  in  this  second  method  becomes 
evident  when  we  find  that  on  a  second  negative  we  are 
still  empowered  to  change  the  light  and  dark,  if  we  find 
alterations  advisable,  simply  by  again  using  Process 
No.  I.  In  the  hands  of  a  trained  artist,  Process  No.  II 
should  be  productive  of  fine  results. 

Photograph  118  was  developed  into  the  portrait  119 
Figures       by  manipulation  as  follows:  The  starved  con- 

11 8  and  ,...  •      -»          i    «  .  •  i 

119  ex-       ditions  in  the  plain  negative  were  overcome  by 
plained.       playing  a  very  thin  oily  touch  in  a  somewhat 
circular  movement  over  the  background.  This  destroyed 
the  metallic  quality  of  the  photograph,  giving  it  some 
effect  of  color.    Medium  B  was  then  applied  more  thickly 

240 


PROCESSES 

near  the  flesh  and  worked  over  into  the  face  and  bust. 
The  stroke  faithfully  followed  the  modelling  of  these 
forms  and  was  thoroughly  studied  for  its  densities.  The 
hair  was  re-enforced  in  movements  in  harmony  with  the 
fine  flow  of  its  forms,  and  the  hat  received  elaborate 
brush  work.  In  the  draperies,  the  effect  of  ermine 
grew  out  of  the  brush  stroke,  thus;  after  the  section 
had  been  covered  with  Medium  B,  a  small  brush  was 
cleaned  and  applied  dry,  thereby  removing  enough  of 
the  medium  to  produce  the  spots  of  black.  With 
another  brush  high  lights  were  added  by  using  more 
of  the  paint.  The  positive  made  from  this  negative 
is  very  complete;  however,  a  little  roundness  was  given 
to  the  shoulders,  neck,  and  face  by  painting  lightly  on 
the  glass  side  of  the  positive,  then,  turning  to  the  film 
side,  a  very  fine-pointed  brush  was  charged  with 
Medium  B  and  accents  were  given  to  the  lines  of  the 
mouth,  nose,  the  pupil  of  the  eye,  its  lashes  and  eye- 
brows, in  the  hair  and  about  the  hat.  The  negative 
made  from  this  positive  is  very  vigorous. 

Transformation  of  Fig.    112  into  an  artistic  work 

requires  the  elimination  of  the  floor  line.    The    Fisure 

113  ex- 
retention  of  this  line  resulted  from  a  desire  to   plained. 

help  the  photographer  in  overcoming  frequent  annoying 
problems  common  to  the  operating  room.  The  ener- 
getic application  of  Medium  A  on  the  negative  oblit- 
erated the  line.  The  obstruction  being  removed,  the 

241 


ART  PRINCIPLES   IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

foreground  was  made  light  by  Medium  B,  and  the  me- 
dium was  applied  in  the  area  from  the  shoulder  upward 
to  the  right,  producing  the  effect  of  a  curtain  hung  imme- 
diately behind  the  figure.  The  positive  from  this  nega- 
tive foretold  that  the  final  result  would  be  too  gray.  It 
was  thought  desirable  to  repress  all  light  except  in  the 
face  and  neck.  The  method  pursued  on  the  positive 
was  to  cover  the  whole  glass  side  rather  thickly  with 
Medium  B,  leaving  clear  glass  in  the  face  only.  The 
final  negative  showed  the  effects  of  this  reduction 
admirably.  To  soften  the  extreme  blacks,  we  resorted 
to  Medium  B  on  the  second  negative. 

The  pictorial  quality  of  Fig.  115  has  been  attained 
Figure  through  the  use  of  Medium  B.  Applied  thickly 
plained.  on  the  first  negative  it  formed  the  sash.  On 
the  positive  made  from  this  negative,  the  sash  appeared 
as  a  blank  irregular  mass  into  which  delicate  painting 
brought  definition.  By  applying  Medium  B  upon  this 
positive,  the  dress  was  toned,  the  edges  softened,  and 
folds  were  created  in  sympathy  with  the  general  effect. 
A  very  complete  ensemble  resulted,  leaving  no  balancing 
to  be  done  on  the  second  negative. 

The  negative,  positive,  and  second  negative  used  to 
Figure  make  Fig.  123  contained  brush  work  of  con- 
plained,  siderable  skill.  The  monotony  of  the  dark  in 
the  first  negative's  background  was  lifted  by  a  generous 
use  of  Medium  B.  Some  oil  mixed  with  the  pigment 

242 


PROCESSES 

added  delicacy  and  flow  in  the  darks,  while  in  the  light 
parts  the  medium  was  used  rather  dry.  It  will  be 
observed  that  every  stroke  was  made  to  convey  its  full 
quota  of  meaning,  and  care  was  taken  to  maintain  the 
character  of  each,  although  modifications  were  admitted. 
The  leaf  forms  at  the  right  of  the  sitter's  shoulder  were 
created  by  wiping  out  the  Medium  B.  The  positive 
made  from  this  negative  is  a  beautiful  and  exceedingly 
emotional  engraving.  The  plate  is  noteworthy  for  the 
quality  of  the  lines,  their  accenting  and  their  breaking. 
Notice  how  these  affect  the  expression  of  the  face. 
Medium  B,  worked  upon  the  positive,  is  especially 
adapted  for  reducing  such  glaring  whites  as  those  of 
the  dress  and  hat.  The  crisp  touches  of  light  and  the 
modelling  of  the  face  were  brought  about  by  treatment 
with  Medium  B  on  the  second  negative. 

The  results  reached  in  Fig.  123  show  that  photog- 
raphy has  resources  for  expression  rivalling  those  of 
the  graphic  arts.  Practice  will  soon  point  to  the  de- 
sirability of  keeping  much  space  about  the  figure,  thus 
offering  an  opportunity  for  rich  background  inventions. 
These  balancing  features  will  add  dignity  and  impor- 
tance to  the  figure  and  will  make  an  impressive  whole 
composition. 

The  first  impulse  of  the  conservative  photographer, 
whether  professional  or  amateur,  may  be  to  reject  the 
processes  set  forth  in  this  treatise,  putting  them  under 

243 


ART  PRINCIPLES  IN  PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY 

the  ban  of  "illegitimate."  If  we  examine  into  these 
very  possible  and  even  probable  doubts,  naturally 
entertained  by  men  unaccustomed  to  invention,  we  can 
allay  the  distrust  awakened  by  the  facts  that  the  for- 
mula for  reducing  has  been  a  favorite  one,  and  the 
pigment  for  making  "light"  has  been  employed  in  one 
form  or  another  for  a  considerable  time.  That  a  new 
use  of  either  of  these  customary  helps  has  been  found 
effective  in  carrying  photography  over  the  line  of  the 
purely  mechanical  into  the  domain  of  reason,  harmony, 
beauty,  —  in  short,  into  the  creative  field,  is  certainly 
no  cause  for  alarm.  The  mediums  by  animating  the 
whole  picture  surface  intensify  the  effect  from  likeness 
to  life-likeness. 

The  processes  as  here  given  cover  the  problems 
contained  in  the  book,  but  it  can  easily  be  perceived 
that  they  may  be  extended,  and  that  their  most  effective 
field  is  to  be  disclosed  when  more  subtle  problems  shall 
be  demanded  by  the  profession  and  the  public. 


244 


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